The Doll
by HyperCatt
Summary: The ocean, the stars, the forests and the snow...the four Mystiques of the world are highly respected spirits in charge of such aspects. But then there's The Doll, the fifth Mystique...what is to be made of such a failure? AU [specialshipping/oldrivalshipping/mangaquestshipping/franticshipping/entourageshipping]
1. part1 - the four mystiques

The ocean creates a dull sound as it laps around her thighs and fingers, swaying her gently as she lies on her back, staring up at the sky. Slowly, the hues of the sky change until there's a pink and orange wash all above her. Blue blinks lazily, waiting for the time to pass. It should be soon.

Sure enough, after the last of the stars fade from the sky, there's a loud splash over by the coast line. Blue flips around so just her upper body is out of the water, and grins happily.

"My, my, you're as punctual as always," she says lightly, just as Crystal surfaces from the water. "And that landing was almost flawless. A perfect score from me."

"Good morning, Blue," the girl greets, already starting her swim back to the shore. "How are you?"

"Well…" Blue stops dramatically, flicking her hair. "That obviously depends on how you define okay. I mean, nothing's wrong with me per say, but-"

"Ah, that's okay then," Crystal cuts in, smiling. "Sorry Blue, but I really don't have the time to gossip. I've got a busy day ahead of me."

"Hm?" She raises her eyebrows, before smirking. "Ohoho, don't tell me. You have a date? My, dating mortal boys. So bold."

"O-of course not." Crystal rolls her eyes, before walking out of the shallow waves and stepping onto the beach. Water drips off her body, and Blue watches as she tugs her fingers through her dark hair with some effort. She supposes it must be awful to have to hair that gets wet. "I have to work today."

"But you've just _been_ at work," Blue points out, still submerged in the water. "Why don't you let your hair down a little? Have some fun!"

Crystal shoots the girl a wary smile. "I don't think so. Sorry, Blue. I have to go."

She shakes the water from her clothes, before picking up her trainers from where she hid them yesterday (between two rocks; Blue saw) and slipping them on.

"Oh well," Blue sighs, dipping back down into the sea. "I can always have fun somewhere else. Maybe I'll go tease some sailors or something!"

"Don't hurt anybody," Crystal warns. Blue flicks her hand dismissively.

"Have a nice day, Crystal," she says, already retreating back into the deeper waters. "Ta-ta! See you later."

"Bye, Blue." She waves, before running off across the beach, leaving footprints as she goes. Blue watches her for a moment, eyes just above the water, before rolling back onto her back and sighing.

It must be so lively, living on the land.

* * *

They only have an Ocean Spirit festival annually. As in, once a year. That's it.

Blue disagrees with this greatly, and has insisted multiple times that they should maybe throw her a festival every month, or even every week. She also reckons the festivals should last at least a week each. It's a serious request, but the people just laugh and ignore her suggestions. It's no good. As the most beautiful and charming of all the Mystiques, she deserves far more celebration than she's given.

It's – so – lone – ly.

The girl watches a school of fish swim by, and waves her fingers through the group. It creates minor discord for a few moments as they scatter furiously, before regrouping a few moments later. They swim on on their way. Blue wonders where they're going.

" _Ocean Spirit, please honour us with the gift of your knowledge!"_

Grinning, Blue perks up, head turning in the direction of the voice. It's a little surprising, but she doesn't care. It feels like it's been so long since someone summoned her. People just don't seem to care anymore. But still! A summons! How fantastic! How amazing! Weird, but…great!

It's a call from somewhere off in the Kantonian Oceans. She likes Kanto. It used be her favourite place. The voice is too far away to identify much about the speaker, but she starts gliding through the water anyway. Crystal resides around Johto, so it's not too far a swim. Besides, even if it's just some dumb little kid that knows a little too much about summoning, at least it's something to do.

Before arising up out of the water, Blue gives herself a quick check to make sure she's at her most dazzling. Her cloak needs to just about cover her bare skin, over her breasts and wrapped around her waist. It really keeps the boys gaping that way. And her hair, that needs to be even on each side, waving around her shoulders rather than tucked away behind her back. It's probably fine though. It's not like she ever looks _bad._ Just sometimes she looks better than others.

It looks like the voice has come from the coast of Pallet Time. Very nostalgic. Time to answer this call though. It's been long enough already.

Blue rises carefully up out of the water, making sure to have a defiant expression that almost seems not to care, but to care enough to show them she's better than them.

"Your Ocean Spirit has emerged! Who dares to summon me?"

She's sure that the delivery was perfect and she looks very elegant and pretty, but when she looks around, there's no crowd gazing adoringly. Not even any applause. It's just some drab beach, and the only two people here are far away, just two young men sat a good while off. Blue frowns, and puts her hands on her hips.

"Hey!" she calls out, glaring. "Did you guys want me or not?"

"Ah, she's here!" one of the boys cries out, standing up and running over to her. The other follows, albeit a little slower. Blue feels a little annoyed that her grand entrance was ruined. They didn't even _see_ it. "Green, c'mon!"

The two boys come running over to her, and she folds her arms, irritated already.

"So, what do you want?" she eyes, eyeing them closely. "I'm a very busy woman, you know. I'm not taking petty little requests from dumb country boys."

"Ocean Spirit," the other boy, Green, starts, before bending down on one knee. Blue likes that at least he has manners. "We come to ask of you a great favour."

"Oh, yay," Blue says flatly. "That's always it. Asking me for favours."

"You should have said please," the other boy whispers, poised in a similar position. "Gotta be polite."

"Shut up," Green growls, head still bowed.

"What is this," Blue groans. "C'mon, like. How old are you guys even? Like, sixteen?"

"We're both twenty one," he says, and Blue doesn't miss the way his eyebrow twitches in aggravation. She smirks, now amused.

"Well, what do you guys want? Money, fame, true love, friendship, bla bla bla. Y'know, if I was you, I'd go for the money. Or the fame. Fifty fifty maybe?"

"Uh, no," the first boy says. "We need to know the location of a girl."

"Ooh, so this is a matter of love. Two of you though? I-"

"It's nothing of the sort," Green cuts in. "We need information about the failed Mystique. The Doll."

"The Doll…?" Blue asks. "Why do you wanna know about her?"

"We have a task to carry out," he says. "To kill her."

Blue thinks about this for a few moments. First off, she can't ignore how disappointing this is. They didn't even care to ask her amazing stories of the ocean or come to worship and praise her. All they want is information. How boring. Secondly, the information they want is to aid a murder. To murder The Doll, at that. Blue doesn't know much about the girl, and not at all where she might be. The only way she would know would be if the girl was in the ocean. And she's not – Blue can tell.

"Well…" Blue starts. "Maybe I can help you. But why should I?"

"Please, it's really important," the first boy begs.

"Oh well, if you say so!" She bursts out laughing at the sheer absurdness of the situation. The boys seem a little off put. "You haven't even told me your names. This is all rather sketchy, I have to say."

"I'm Red," the first boy says. "And he's Green."

"Why do you want to kill The Doll, huh? That's a little extreme."

"We were ordered to," Green states. "We're under the orders of high up officials, experienced in both our physical abilities and intelligence. The Doll is a potential danger to the world. She has to be destroyed as soon as possible."

"Is that so," Blue says, glancing at her nails. "So…did you bring an offering?"

"Huh?" Red says, blinking. "That…that wasn't in the books!"

"Oh well. Looks like you'll have to-"

"Take this pendant," Green interjects hastily, tearing it off his neck and throwing it into the water. Blue leans down and picks it up, inspecting it carefully. The metal is purple and difficult to identify. She'll have to ask Crystal or some other smart person what it is.

"Hey, are you sure-" Red starts, before being cut off by Green's firm glare.

"Hmm…" Blue stares at the pendant for a moment longer, before looping around her neck happily. "It's original, if a little plain. I've never seen this type before, and I'm a girl who knows her jewellery."

"So you'll help us?" Red grins.

"Nope!" Blue sings, before slinking off into the water. This will be a fun game, she decides.

* * *

The light blinds her and Crystal has to squint as she furiously moves her hand around the fire, palms outstretched. It dims the flames a little, and Crystal nods in satisfaction. That's all the stars she needed to do. This should smooth things out a little more.

The night is just coming to an end, and Crystal gives a final glance back to the star. Then she looks back, and prepares herself for the morning – for the jump. All she has to do is dive and let things roll past her, unable to slow down until she hits the ocean. Blue will probably already be waiting, even though she's a little early this morning.

Time to fall.

The wind rushes past her and Crystal can feel her hair tug behind her, pushed back by her speed. She goes so fast that she can barely register anything around her, until being gripped by gravity as she enters the atmosphere of Earth, seeing the blur of colours around her – black, purple, pink, orange- then Crystal slams into the ocean with a powerful splash. It doesn't hurt.

"Hellooo," Blue greets as she emerges out of the water. The girl floats calmly, blue eyes watching Crystal carefully. "You're a little early today."

"I needed to check something," she explains, wasting no time in her swim back to the shore. "Whilst the stars are still in sight, I mean."

She times the decent perfectly. The day has only just begun with the sun still resting on the horizon, but the stars are still visible faintly, like a transparent sheet over the sky. Crystal knows just the place to get the best view too.

"Hey, but you'll _never_ guess what happened!" Blue starts, playfulness sparkling in her eyes. "I got summoned yesterday!"

"Ah? That's nice." Crystal pulls herself of the water and squeezes the water from her hair. "Sorry, Blue. Can we talk later? I really have to go."

"Sure, sure," Blue says, sighing. "I don't want to keep you if you're busy. You probably have more fun things to attend to than whatever I have to say."

"…Sorry, Blue," she repeats, before taking off across the beach in a sprint. "See you later!"

Her pace increases after that, and she runs up the dirt path by the beach, aiming for the hills. It shouldn't take too long; she's a fast runner, after all.

* * *

For some reason, there's another girl sat up there already. Crystal stops and considers this for a few moments. There isn't usually anybody up here.

"Um, good morning!" she greets, wary of her unsheltered appearance. It would be even easier to figure out who she is, since her clothes are still dripping with seawater.

"Ah, good morning!" the girl says back, voice gentle as Crystal comes and sits next to her. "I didn't realise anybody else would be up here so early."

She smiles warmly at Crystal, and it make her feel a little more at ease. "Me neither."

"It's so pretty, isn't it?" she says, looking up at the morning sky. "I always think that mornings are the best time of the day. The way the sun rises just fills me with so much hope."

"I understand, though I'm more of a night person myself," Crystal teases, laughing. She can't help but wonder if the girl actually knows who she is. It doesn't seem like it.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me! I'm Yellow. It's nice to meet you!"

"Ah?" Crystal says, a little taken aback at the sudden introduction. "Um, I'm…Esther. Nice to meet you too."

"I really like this type of view," she continues, changing her gaze back to the sky. "The ocean, the hills, the sun, the stars…all together in one scene. The summer is such a beautiful season."

"The stars ruin it though," Crystal points out dully. "They're so…disorganised."

"Hm?" Yellow blinks, clearly confused. "What do you mean?"

"N-no, it's nothing!" Crystal laughs sheepishly. "Ignore me."

* * *

The next morning, Crystal waits until she's dried off before pulling her cloak around her body, letting the hood hang down into her eyes. It's not a great disguise, but it generally gets the job done without creating too much fuss. Unlike Blue, she doesn't like all the attention and fame that comes along with being a Mystique. It tends to make things so much more…difficult.

She wonders along the path, until she reaches the town. The market is relatively uncrowded for this time of the morning, but there's still a good crowd of people bustling around, trying to get the freshest fruit and finest clothes before anyone else gets the chance. It's nothing of Crystal's interest, and instead she weaves through the villagers, looking for a certain stall – a modest tent that very few people happen to approach. She makes sure to visit at least once a week.

"Ah, Crystal," the old man greets kindly, and she withdraws the hood from her face. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you," she replies, already a little distracted. Without wasting any time, the girl begins to shift through large scrolls made of thick paper, and takes the one with the most recent date labelled on it. "Is this it?"

"It is." He nods, and Crystal quickly opens it out and spreads it across the floor, slinking down next to it. Her eyes focus as glances across the map quickly, before letting out a sigh.

"This still isn't right," she says, frowning. "I thought the Western stars looked a little clustered, so I tried to dim them down a little, but now all the other regions of the sky just look too busy. It's still so uneven."

"It looks quite fine to me," the old man points out.

"I appreciate that, but as the Star Girl, I have a duty to make the night skies flawless. And this…it's definitely not good enough."

Crystal folds the map back up and holds out a palm full of golden pieces. "Can I buy this please? I need to study it in more depth."

The man seems to hesitate for a second, probably still thinking it looks acceptable, before taking the money and removing the label from the astrological map. Crystal thanks him quietly before pulling her hood back up and exiting the tent. She has work to do.

* * *

There's a thick coating of mud splattered up Sapphire's arm and a stray leaf stuck to the sole of her foot. She continues to wander through the trees, trying to find an ideal tree to climb. Eventually she sees a thick and sturdy tree, and fluidly climbs to the top branches, eyes scanning below her through the layer of leaves. The bark is rough under her fingers, and she tightens her grip as she moves along the branch. There's a strong smell of earth, and she adores it.

From somewhere not too far away, there's a burst of childish laughter, and Sapphire waits. Another laugh echoes and she hears people talking, though too distant for her to be able to define any words. She tenses, a feeling of dread rising in her stomach. With a small grunt, she leaps across onto a nearby branch, darting between the trees. Even the weakest can easily support her weight.

"St-stop it! I think you're hurting it!"

Sapphire leans closer to the scene, teeth gritted. It's a group of young children, no older than thirteen. They've ripped a good deal of bark off the surrounding trees, and seem to be hitting each other with it. And hitting a badger too.

"What're you kids doin'?" she roars, jumping down from the tree. The group startle, and one of the girls bursts into tears.

"What- no-" one of the older boys splutters, dropping the bark briskly. "We ain't doin' nothin'!"

"I told you!" the girl cries, tears streaming down her face. "Now the Forest Guardian's gonna punish us all!"

"D-dammit!" Another boy throws his bar to the side, and starts sprinting as Sapphire takes a step forwards. "C'mon, run!"

"Yer come back here again and I'll make sure yer don't leave again!" Sapphire yells after them, as the children scatter in a mass of too many directions. She doesn't chase after them, instead bending down to pick up the badger in her arms. There's blood soaking through its fur.

One of the boys suddenly starts coughing violently, and falls to one knee. Sapphire hesitates, and wonders over to him. It's not like she cares about humans, but…

"Kid, yer alright?" she asks, bending down beside him. He coughs weakly a few more times before sitting up.

"S-sorry!" he gasps. "I have this problem with my lungs…um…please don't hurt me."

"Nah, I wouldn't hurt no kid," she says, stroking the badger gently in her arms. "Don't tell 'em that though."

"I-is he okay?" the boy asks, pointing towards the animal. "I-I didn't want them to hurt him, but they wouldn't stop! I'm really sorry."

"He'll be alright," she reassures him. "But what were yer doin' with them kinda kids? Yer look too soft to be their kinda friend."

The boy looks away. "I thought if I went with them they wouldn't pick on me as much…"

"Nah, that ain't no way to be!" Sapphire exclaims, frowning. "Yer gotta have your own guts, yer own strength! Can't be relying on any of those idiots."

"…Maybe," he says after a few seconds.

"What's yer name, kid?" she asks, and the boy flinches a little.

"W-Wally," he mutters. "Um, I really am sorry about the badger. B-but, my uncle knows a really good vet, so if you give him to me, I can help him get better."

"I dunno; you humans have pretty strange medicines," she says, and Wally looks up at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "…Fine. Take him. But if anythin' happens, yer can bet that I'll find out."

"R-right! Thank you, Forest Guardian!" The boy bows and carefully takes the badger into his arms. Sapphire raises an eyebrow; it looks like he can barely lift it up. Before she can say anything though, he nods and starts to run back through the trees. In the distance, she can hear him coughing. She's not sure that was a smart thing to do after all.

With a shrug, Sapphire turns around, carrying on through the forest and looking for any other scenes of mishap. For a while she just strolls in silence, enjoying the sounds of the animals and leaves around her. One tree rustles loudly as she walks past, and Sapphire stops and stares.

"…Anyone there?" she asks, narrowing her eyes. "If y'are, I'll know."

There's another rustle from the tree, and she bristles, ready for an attack. Before she can yell again, there's a yelp and a boy falls out of the tree, landing with a thud. Sapphire blinks.

"Eugh." He stands up briskly and brushes his clothes down. There's a notepad next to him and he picks it up and frowns. "Gross."

"…Wha…?" Sapphire isn't sure what to think, and stares at the boy. "What're yer doin'?"

"Well!" he gasps, looking highly offended. "I would have assumed you'd heard of me! You _are_ the Forest Guardian, aren't you?"

"'Course I am," she retorts, crossing her arms. "And who're you?"

"I don't remember you being so _dirty,_ " the boy says, looking her up and down. "I have to say, I'm not a  
big fan of the whole leaf outfit either. If you give me your measurements, I can make you something much more beautiful- ah, imagine, the Forest Guardian wearing some of _my_ designs!"

Sapphire stares incredulously for a few moments as the boy blabbers about fashion, feeling herself grow more and more irritated. "Who _are_ yer?"

The boy sighs sadly. "I don't even remember the last time I had to introduce myself-"

"Get on with it."

"My name's Ruby!" he announces, and then narrows a single eye as if expecting some kind of reaction. "Surely you've heard of me."

"No," Sapphire says. "Now get out."

"What?" Ruby gasps again. "You- you can't just kick me out of the forest for doing _nothing_! I'm looking for inspiration!"

"I can kick you out for annoyin' me," she growls. "And yer seriously annoyin'. Get lost."

"I never imagined the respected Forest Guardian would be so rude," he mutters, scowling as he storms away. Sapphire feels a brief pang of guilt, but then remembers that human these days are all the same. They're not worth feeling pity for. She shouldn't care. She doesn't care.

* * *

Sapphire leans back against the tree, one leg dangling freely off the branch. She stares over the forest that is slowly changing from green to orange and yellow. There's a cold breeze through the air and it ruffles the leaves slightly, along with her hair. It's getting shorter.

There's a distant murmuring from somewhere below her, and the girl tenses. It feels like her duty to check on passers-bys is increasing as her energy drops, aware that soon she'll be falling asleep for the entirety of the winter, unable to manage the forests. She drops down from the trees and lands in the soil, glancing around. There's someone coming this way.

"Well...I'm not too sure about that," a girl says, and Sapphire follows the voices until she finds them. Two (smaller than average) blonde children.

"Nah, I'm speaking from experience," a boy says, and she notices something strange about him, narrowing her eyes from behind the tree. He's much shorter than the girl. "It's like-"

"Hey!" Sapphire exclaims, leaping forward. The two of them jump slightly, obviously unnerved. It's not particularly a reaction she likes but it's what's needed. "What're yer doin'?"

"The Forest Guardian!" the girl gasps, eyes wide. "Um, did we do something wrong?"

"Nah, it's not you I'm not likin'," Sapphire says whilst shaking her head. "You! Why are yer walking around with all that clunky metal coverin' your body?"

"Wh-what?" the boy splutters, face flushing. "I-I haven't got any metal covering my body!"

"Don't lie to me," she says, crossing her arms. "What is it, a weapon? If yer so much as even try to damage one of these trees, I ain't gonna go easy on you!"

"Wait," the girl says, looking confused. She turns to the boy. "Emerald, what is she talking about? Metal?"

"N-no, it's nothing," he says, and Sapphire takes a step forward, suddenly intensely distrustful. "Back off!"

"I won't let hurt this forest!" she barks, eyes blaring. "Show your weapons I'll rip 'em off yer!"

"Wait, don't fight-!" the girl cries. "I-I'm sure he hasn't done anything wrong…-you're probably mistaken!"

Sapphire feels highly offended that the girl would even suggest such a thing, wondering about retracting her previous comment. She's never mistaken about unwanted technology in the forest. Not once in all the time she's been watching over them. The boy is definitely concealing something all over his body, on his legs, arms, torso…the only place she can't sense it is his head.

She takes another step forward, feeling the soil underneath her feet, and is just about ready to tackle the short boy down when he holds up his hands in surrender, eyes panicked.

"F-fine, I'll show you," he mutters, before rolling his sleeves. There's some kind of prosthetic limb under the sleeve, and Sapphire stares, confused.

"What're those?" she asks, hesitantly reaching her fingers out to touch the metal. The boy rolls his sleeve down before she can, face fully red.

"I need them, 'cause…'cause I'm short," he says, eyes on the ground.

"Huh?" Sapphire blinks, looking the boy up and down closely. "Nah, this stuff is pointless."

"It's not!" the boy yells, and the girl winces beside him. "It's not like I'm hurting anybody…just lemme keep it! And don't tell anyone!"

Sapphire considers this for a few moments. "How do I know yer not gonna use it for hurtin' people?"

"Why would I even do that?" The boy gives her a strange look. "Why are you so distrustful anyway?"

"…I'm not," she says after a few seconds, even though she knows she is. "Hey, what're yer names?"

The boy exclaims 'why should I tell you?' at the same time the girl answers 'I'm Yellow'. Sapphire looks between the two of them.

"Um, we're sorry," the girl says hesitantly. "Next time, we'll go around the forest. We didn't mean to make you mad. I just really like forests, that's all, so I thought we could take the shortcut and it'd be fine."

"I'm not mad," Sapphire huffs. "I don't care 'bout humans. I just don't want any harm to come to the forest, and if that's what I think yer doin', I'm not just gonna let it pass."

"Well we're not! So just let us carry on!"

"Honestly, I'd never hurt any kind of nature," Yellow explains. "I love forests. I always feel so at home. You know, I think they said I was born in a forest…maybe that's why."

Sapphire considers this. "Really?"

"Nice save!" the boy hisses beside her.

"N-no, I'm telling the truth," she says, seemingly picking up on the frown Sapphire directs at her. "And we really wouldn't hurt you at all!"

"I don't like it," Sapphire says, sighing. "But fine. I'll let yer go, for now. But I'll be watchin' yer!"

"Yeah, thanks," the boy mutters, striding past her. Yellow nods and smiles, before hopping off after him. Sapphire watches them for a few moments again, another breeze brushing past her. Then she realises the question she forgot to ask.

"Hey, wait!" she calls after them, and they stop and turn. "Where are yer goin' anyway?"

"Town over," the boy says. "Got some stuff to do there."

"You too?" she asks Yellow. She shakes her head after a moment's hesitation. "Where yer goin' then?"

"…I don't know yet," she says eventually, before smiling. Sapphire thinks it looks quite sad. "Somewhere, I guess."

"…Somewhere, huh."

She says nothing else, and Sapphire lets them leave on their way.

* * *

Platinum pulls the brush through her hair smoothly, watching carefully in the mirror to see where her dark hair falls. It lies exactly as she wishes it to, and with that, the girl stands up, hands gliding over her white dress to make sure it is spotless and clean.

The room is simple but elegant, and Platinum walks over to the window and moves away some of the condensation blocking the view. Outside, the last of the trees are losing their leaves, and the sky is dark. It's time for her to exit the little house far up above the village, ready to bring her gift of winter to all the people.

She clicks her door open and steps into the outside, breathing in the fresh air. It's been so long since she was last outside; it's so nice to be able to experience it once more, even if it's just a little. Platinum trails along the path and down the hill. She smiles just a little, glancing at the tall gathering of pine trees around her.

There's something going on in the village. It becomes apparent once she reaches the gap in the trees that show the clearing of houses. A gentle fire leans up to the sky and there's a mass of people swarming around it, talking about something in hushed voices and then not so hushed voices. Platinum waits, curious.

"If we don't do something, it'll happen again!" a man cries, causing various replies to emerge from the crowd.

"I agree, but what is there to be done?" a woman asks. "We are powerless against her. It's a futile effort."

"I say we introduce her to our archers," someone else mutters.

There's another flurry of voices, and Platinum frowns a little. She doesn't know who they're talking about. It sounds like they harbour a lot of hate for the person however.

"I just can't deal with all this snow anymore," another woman sighs. Platinum startles. "If our only option is murder, I'm afraid I have to agree. Last year our harvest was so bad that we hardly had enough to feed ourselves, let alone create a surplus."

"You can't do that to a Mystique!" a boy calls out frantically. "Maybe you just need to learn to deal with the snow a little better!"

"Be quiet, Pearl," a man hisses. "This is no matter for a child."

"Child-? I'm seventeen-"

"Enough," someone else cuts in. "We need to make a decision as soon as we can. The Snowflake Enchantress could arrive at any time. There's no time for petty arguments."

Platinum takes a step back, suddenly feeling like she needs to run away. She holds a hand over her mouth, and trembles. This is…far above anything she could have expected.

"She's there!" someone cries, and Platinum jumps. "The Snowflake Enchantress is in the trees!"

The people turn to look at her, and all she can see in their faces is distrust and fear. It's too much, and she has to sprint back up the hill, away from the village and back to her home.

"Wait-!" a voice calls after her, but she keeps running, grasping her dress to make sure she doesn't trip. Once she reaches her house she makes sure the door is firmly shut before sitting down on one of her chairs and letting the tears fall. They hate her. They _hate_ her.

A few moments later, there's a furious knocking on the door. Platinum stops, frozen. Nobody has come to her house before. Never, not once in all the time she's resided here.

"Snowflake Enchantress!" someone calls, not ceasing their knocking. "Please, they didn't mean what they said! We don't hate you!"

"Mmhm, we think you're cool," another voice says, slower and quieter.

"…N-no pun intended," the other person says after a brief pause. "Well, actually, maybe."

Platinum stares at the door for a few moments more, unsure of what to think. It could be some kind of trap – they just said they were out to _murder_ her after all – but then she's a little doubtful that this is a trap.

"Are we allowed to come in?" the person asks. "We promise we won't hurt you."

"…How can I trust you," she says, sitting up straight instinctively. "I- There is no reason why I would trust you."

"We promise," the other voice says, and Platinum's sure by this point that the two of them are boys. It's still a little hard to tell from the muffled quality through the door, but despite that. "We can help you. You just need to show the people you're not all that bad."

Platinum hesitates, unsure of what to do. She's read many books about many different things, but right now she can't remember if this type of thing has happened before. Maybe. But then she can't remember what the character did. She wants to open the door and let them in. She doesn't want people to hate and be afraid of her.

The door opens with a click, and she's left staring at two boys (as she thought), their eyes wide as they look at her.

"Snowflake Enchantress!" the taller boy says, before bowing his head a little. "Uh, hello."

"Nice to meet you," the other says, smiling gently. "My name is Diamond."

"Yeah, and I'm Pearl."

Platinum just nods, unsure of what to say. She's not so sure about this anymore. "It is…nice to meet you."

"…Were you crying?" he asks, with a cautious face.

"I was not." There's a small silence after this, and the boy shoots her a doubtful look, which she tries to ignore.

"You- you don't need to hide away," Pearl starts suddenly, sounding like he's trying to get out too many words in a set amount of time. "We actually really like the snow. Those people just said all that stuff 'cause they don't know any better."

"They are afraid," Platinum says sadly. "The people do not like what I bring for them."

"It's not like that," Pearl says hastily. "Dia, you agree, right?"

"Mmhm, the snow's nice," he says, nodding. "Maybe they just don't know you well enough."

"Know me well enough…?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Pearl exclaims. "I think it's because we never really get a chance to talk to you. Like, this is the first time we've ever spoken. Normally we just see you stood around places. It's a little…haunting."

"…Haunting," Platinum repeats, feeling dull. "I see."

"B-but maybe we can change that!" Pearl says. "It can't be that hard! Right, Dia?"

"Right," the boy says with an affirmative nod. Platinum looks between the two of them.

"So…if I become friendlier, then the people will no longer wish for my demise."

"Yeah!" Pearl says with raring enthusiasm. "That's all you have to do!"

"Then I entrust myself to the two of you. Please teach me how to become more connected with the people, so I can once again leave and help the winter to progress."

The two boys nod, grinning at one another. Platinum still isn't fully sure about this, but she has no choice. If she goes out there, they'll kill her. And these are the only two people prepared to help her.

"Oh, uh, before we start," Pearl says. "Do Mystiques have proper names? Like other than their titles. I've always kind of wanted to know."

"Of course we do," Platinum says, frowning a little.

"What's yours?"

"I'm not telling you that," she says sharply. The boys falter a little. "Not yet. A name is a very personal thing, and I'm not sure whether you're worthy of knowing mine."

"Ugh," Pearl sighs, and Diamond just gives her a small smile, like he doesn't understand fully but won't argue.

* * *

Platinum has never had guests over before. She's lived in this house alone for very long time and is a little unsure of how to go about things. The two boys are due in an hour, and Platinum scans through as many books as she can find, trying to find suitable solutions.

Many of the books suggest preparing beverages and a meal, but Platinum cannot cook and doesn't care much for food anyway. There's no point in dressing up because she's always dressed up, and has no method of attaining any music. All in all, the house is just the same as it normally is in the majority of aspects. She sits on the chair and waits.

There's a sharp knock, and when Platinum opens the door, it's (of course) the two boys, holding an array of different things in their arms. She blinks.

"Hello again," she says after a few seconds. "You may enter."

"Thanks," Pearl nods, followed by Diamond. They sit on her chairs without permission. "Ugh, it's so hot in here. Why's it so hot?"

"It is too warm?" Platinum asks, glancing around at the lit fire. It's been lit since yesterday.

"It is very hot," Diamond agrees.

"How long have you had that fire on? Shouldn't you put it out? Seriously, it's crazy hot!"

"Temperature is not a sensation I can feel," Platinum says, leaving the fire to burn out. "…I apologise."

"You should ease up a little, y'know."

"Ease up?"

"Just chill out~!" Diamond grins.

"Was that another pun?!"

"Hmm…"

Platinum stares in awe, completely unsure of what to make of this. She feels a little like she wants to laugh, but isn't sure if she should.

"Uhh, anyway, should we start?" Pearl says, crossing his arms. "I brought some paper so we can make notes and stuff."

"And bread!" Diamond announces happily, holding up a basket.

"Dia's a baker," Pearl explains.

"Enchantress, do you want any?" Diamond holds up a roll before she can say anything about the shortened title he's given her.

"Mystiques do not need to eat," she says after a few seconds. Diamond's face drops.

"You should at least take it out of courtesy," Pearl hisses. "Wait, lemme write that down. 'Be…polite…'"

"I am not polite?" Platinum feels highly offended, then reconsiders. "…Very well. I accept your offer."

She takes the bread, making Diamond smile once again. She notes – it seems taking does not always cause distress as previously assumed, and then hesitantly bites into the roll. She hasn't eaten since she was mortal, centuries ago.

"…It is…nice."

"Ah, thank you~." Diamond beams. "I'll bring more next time."

Platinum nods, wondering about this aforementioned 'next time'. Pearl takes out his paper again.

"Let's begin!"

* * *

Platinum feels at last like she is up to date with the times. Pearl and Diamond introduce her to new vocabulary, new concepts, new attitudes.

As the winter rolls on, she feels at last ready to leave once more. The snow will be coming soon.

"I'm so excited!" Pearl grins. "I love winter so so so much, even since we were kids I always loved all that stuff. You remember it, right, Dia?"

"Yeah-!" Diamond says, tone laced with enthusiasm, if a little slow.

Platinum tries to concentrate once more, checking her appearance once more. She has a plan this time – introduce herself to the villagers at initial contact, and talk to them each day. Help out with any farm work and give advice to those who require it – and those who actually ask for it, not just whoever Platinum deems in need. Accept any offerings with a smile and show gratitude, appreciating the hard work and effort. She has it all down. Nothing can go wrong.

"It's really easy; you don't have to be nervous," Pearl says as they walk down the hill. "Just…y'know."

"Be friendly," Diamond finishes. "It's simple~!"

"Yes," Platinum says, taking a breath. "Yes, this will be okay."

They venture into the village, and she gets ready to introduce herself. They must be waiting – Pearl and Diamond said they would be, gathered together in a crowd. Ready to meet her, ready to give her another chance.

The sky is dark, and Platinum glances around, noticing a fire lit in the centre of the town. There are figures gathered behind it – the villagers.

"They are here," Platinum gasps, a wave of nervousness suddenly hitting her.

"It'll be fine," Diamond says, voice gentle.

"Go on, 'Chantress," Pearl insists. She resists the urge to correct him.

"Then I shall," she says. Platinum takes another step forward. Someone yells something but she is in unable to decipher it in time, as something sharp cuts into her chest. She stops and looks down, moving a hand to the arrow embedded into her flesh, watching the blood spill out around it.

It hurts. It hurts a lot.

Platinum sways before collapsing to the ground, mind blank, deaf to all around her. As she stares up at the sky with darkening vision, she sees the first snowflake of the season fall.

* * *

 **ehehe, I haven't published a fic in fooreevveerr  
so here's this little story I wrote (kind of) for Christmas!  
it should be about…three…chapters long, hopefully publishing the last chapter on Christmas uvu  
i'm sorry that Crystal got kind of left out in this chapter, but don't worry – she has more limelight in the next chapters, along with other characters that haven't had much or any focus yet  
construct crit welcome and hope you enjoy!**


	2. part2 - separate paths

Blue drifts along on the waves, not caring where she ends up. She's bored. Nothing is going on, and according to Crystal, it's only the end of the autumn, so it's a while until her next festival. So much time, and so little to do.

…So little….to…

Blue sits up in the water, a sudden memory coursing back into her mind. Those boys from earlier in the year, the ones who summoned her. She wonders how they're doing. Maybe she should- no, she definitely should go and check on them. _Something_ fun must have happened by now, and if it hasn't, well, she'll make something fun happen.

With minor concentration, Blue notes that the boys were last somewhere near where the Kanto and Johto oceans meet. It's not too far away, and she reaches it in almost no time.

Again, she goes through her routine check of looking perfect before rising up out of the sea. They're not even here this time. Blue groans. They must have already taken off to someplace down the road.

She drifts a little further, following the wooden planks that only just stay afloat. Her eyes light up when she sees the distant but familiar figures, ducking her head low into the water and following alongside them.

"Well, I guess, but it still seems a little strange…"

"How so."

"Like, was she nice? 'Cause I don't think I could know someone that's nice and spend so much time around them and then just be like totally ready to kill them. I dunno."

Blue lurks, feeling a smirk rise on her lips. So they're still talking about killing people and the like. Maybe even about The Doll herself.

"She was just The Doll," Green says after minor hesitation. "I can't let personal relationships or anything else like that get in the way of this. We can't just view her as a regular human anymore."

"Still…" Red pulls a face. "So, was she nice?"

"Enough," Green says sharply. The conversation seems to end there, but Blue senses a chance to keep it going.

"It's not polite to dismiss a perfectly reasonable question, you know," she comments lightly, floating up a little. "Come on, then. Was she nice or not?"

"Th-the Ocean Spirit!" Red exclaims, glancing over to Green. He looks a lot less respectful than he did last time, and Blue narrows her eyes just a little. "Sh-should we bow or…"

"Where is my pendant," Green demands, eyes flashing dangerously. "You're not wearing it."

"How observant of you," Blue hums, glancing at the hills behind them. "I put it with the rest of my collected treasures and trinkets. All the way at the ve-ry bottom of the ocean."

Green says nothing, face tense. Red glances between the two of them.

"So, how's your little journey going?" Blue asks, already knowing the answer. She smiles at them loosely. "Found your Doll?"

"Of course not," Green counters. "Why would we still be looking if she was already found?"

"I wish we could just find her already," Red sighs. "I mean, I'm all one for a good journey, but we hardly have any leads! Can't we do anything to make you tell us?"

Blue thinks back to the treasure trove. "Well…"

"Do you even know where she is?" Green asks suddenly. "It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to people summoning you, would it."

"Rude!" Blue gasps, holding a hand to her mouth. She's surprised that he actually saw through her act though. "Of course I-"

She stops, mouth gaping. The Doll. Blue just felt her enter the ocean, far off somewhere in Hoenn. She considers this as the boys stare at her in confusion, before breaking out in a wide grin.

"Of course I know where she is."

"Then where is she?" Green stares at her a narrow gaze.

Blue winks, sticking out her tongue a little. "Not. Telling."

With a laugh, she dips back down into the water, ready to go and finally meet the long awaited Doll.

* * *

After several meetings, Blue decides she like the Doll. She's cute and chatty even though she's a little blunt and childish; Blue quickly starts to view her as a little sister figure. There's no way she'll let any harm come to a tiny pearl like her.

"Hey, I was meaning to ask," Blue says one day, sat in the shallow water whilst the Doll – Yellow, her name is – pushes around the sand easily. "How come they call you The Doll?"

"The Doll? What about it?"

"Well, Ocean Sprit – me – that's obvious. Star Girl is stars and Forest is forest. Same with snowflake. But what's Doll?"

"Um, well," Yellow says, smiling a little. "I'm not really sure. They used to call me that at my school a lot, but nobody really uses it anymore."

"School?"

"Well, I think it was something like that. I used to get tutored by some people in lots of things, but there wasn't anybody else in the class."

"Hm, weird," Blue says. She looks over Yellow. "Maybe they called you The Doll because you're so small."

"M-maybe," Yellow murmurs softly. "You know, they taught us some stuff about you in school too, Blue!"

"Of course they did," she says, trying to hide her smile. "…What did they teach you?"

"Mostly about Mystiques in general, and the differences between you and humans."

"Sounds boring," Blue retorts, frowning. "Isn't there anything fun? What about our origin stories? We have a lot of fun with those."

"Well, they say Star Girl just appeared one day, from the sky," Yellow muses, looking thoughtful with a hand on her cheek.

"Do they now…"

"But nobody knows anything about where the others came from. Even you, Blue. Some textbooks said that Mystiques were once mortals…is that true? Did you used to be a human too?"

"I wouldn't want to spoil anything!" Blue winks. "You'll have to wait and see for my tragic past."

"Is it really that sad?" Yellow looks a little upset and Blue falters.

"No, it isn't sad at all," Blue says hastily. "I don't actually remember any of it, 'cause it was so boring!"

"It must be nice to be a Mystique," Yellow says after a few seconds.

"It's not really that great," Blue mutters lowly. "Being immortal is great and all, but it gets a little boring, y'know? The ocean is fun but nothing ever happens here. Nothing fun, at least."

"Hmm…" Yellow seems to consider this, before smiling brightly again. "Still, you're useful to everyone! That must be nice. That sense of being needed."

Blue watches the girl closely and suddenly catches a glimpse of unspoken emotion in her downcast eyes. The waves roll on behind her.

"Anyway, the other day I was trying to decide on my favourite gemstone…"

* * *

With both groups travelling near the ocean, it makes it easy for Blue to track both the boys and Yellow. The latter is always ready to talk to Blue, but the boys not so much. They haven't entered the sea in a long time, and Blue decides they're probably trying to avoid her. That's no good.

She dwells on the bottom of the ocean, blinking (even though she doesn't need to). Crystal's up in the stars by now, and she's been practically ignoring Blue she's been doing so much work. Yellow is probably asleep by now. It seems she sleeps a lot anyway.

" _Ocean Spirit, you there?"_

It's barely a whisper and not at _all_ an acceptable summons, but Blue is bored and decides to answer it anyhow, even if she knows she shouldn't.

"It is I, your amazing-! Oh, it's you again." Blue sinks back down and scowls at Red, ready to dive back under. "If you just called me here so you can ask about your pendant, I'm not-"

"Wait, no," Red says hastily. "It's not about that."

"Nothing about The Doll either, then. Whatever it is, I'm not stupid! I know you guys have been purposely trying to avoid the ocean. Why? It's not like I'm causing you any harm."

"S-sorry, Green's idea," Red mutters with a shrug. "Wait no, I gotta ask something. Do you actually know where The Doll is?"

"I already told you that I do."

"Can you take me to her?"

Blue stares at the boy before letting out a peal of laughter. He blinks, looking unsure of what to do.

"How outright! You really do think I'm some kind of fool, don't you! You've even already told me you want to try and kill her."

"I have no weapons on me!" Red holds out his arms indignantly, as if this proves he's unarmed. "Seriously, I just wanna meet her. I'm curious about it all, that's it. I promise!"

"Why would I trust you?"

Red fumbles. "Uhh…"

"Adding to that, where's your little companion?"

"Green's asleep." He gestures to a tent set up a short distance away. "C'mon, you have my word. If I do anything that even slightly hurts her, you can…uh…you can drown me or something."

"Drown?" Blue stares a little more, looking him at and down, before sighing. "Fine, fine. I'll take your word, for now. One slip up and you're dead. Literally."

Red grins, before stopping still. "Wait, how do I get there?"

Blue smiles coyly. "I hope you can hold your breath for a long time and I hope you don't mind getting a little wet."

"Uh…"

"Take my arm," Blue says, holding it out dutifully. "Take a breath. You'll need it."

He does an alarmingly good job, much to Blue's disappointment. She even tries ducking under the waves for little longer than she knows is safe for humans, just to see if he'll be forced to suck in a breath of the saltwater, but he never does. They reach the shore together, and Red gasps and splutters once she tosses him onto the sand.

"A- a little more warning next time, please," he coughs. "Th-thanks though."

His face is pale and he shivers. Blue watches carefully, aware of humans' hypersensitivity to temperature, especially when they're wet.

"S-so where is she?" he asks, dragging his fingers through his wet hair. "You- you weren't lying, w-were you?"

"Sadly I was not," Blue sighs, realising how good of an idea that would have been. "Wait here."

She dips back under the water and makes her way towards the cave where she knows Yellow is sleeping. The water goes inside, so close that Blue can almost reach out and touch the girl.

"Yellow~," she calls softly. "Hey, wake up."

The girl stirs and mumbles something, the thin blanket she had covered herself with slipping off onto the rock. She yawns and pulls herself up with a little difficulty.

"Blue…?" she asks slowly, rubbing at her eyes. "…Good morning."

"No, it's still night," Blue dismisses. "I have a visitor for you. A human friend for you to play with!"

"…Hm?"

"C'mon." Blue holds out her hand. Yellow shifts a little, eyes dazed and confused, but then takes her hand anyway. She makes sure to take care with Yellow, trying not to spend too much under the water and routinely checking the girl is still okay.

Red's still waiting on the beach, huddled up by the shoreline with his arms wrapped around his body. When he sees them approach, he stands up excitedly with a grin on his face.

"I- I thought you weren't coming back," he says, still shivering. "Is that her?"

Blue leads Yellow carefully as close to the sand as she can get. The girl stares back at Blue, eyes now wide and awake.

"Blue…?" she asks, and Blue winces a little, hoping Red didn't hear.

"Call me Ocean Spirit," she whispers, before glancing over back at the boy. "Red, this is The Doll. And this is Red. He's a boy I found on the beach."

"Not really," he mutters, but then perks up when Yellow turns around to look at him. "A-are you really her?"

"Um, hello," she says after a few seconds. She grasps her wet ponytail in her hands. "…You can call me Yellow."

"…Is that your real name?" Red asks dumbly. Blue sighs. "Oh, but, like she said! I'm Red. Nice to meet you!"

Yellow smiles shyly and glances at the sand.

* * *

There's a bubble of laughter in the air, and Blue watches closely, a small smirk on her lips. It seems the two get along swimmingly, very much so.

"Are you serious?" Red laughs, leaning back to look up at the sky. "That much?"

"M-my tutor was really mad," Yellow says with a smile. "He kept saying 'how could you accidentally cut off _half your hair_ ' and 'take things more seriously'. I apologised so much, but he just sighed and shook his head."

"Sounds like Green. But hey, your hair looks fine now."

"T-thank you." Yellow nervously tugs on her ponytail. "Who's Green?"

"My best friend," Red says jovially. "We've known each other since forever."

"That must be nice." Yellow smiles. Her cheeks are flushed.

"Yeah, he's probably really angry that I left him to come here though," Red says, faltering a little. "It's already been a week…"

"You could always ask Bl- the Ocean Spirit to take you back if you want. If he's your best friend, I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep him worried."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Blue says, finally emerging upwards.

"H-how long have you been there?"

"I just got here. Anyhow, don't worry about anything! I explained everything to Green and he was fine with it."

"Really?" Red frowns a little. "That doesn't really sound like Green."

"B- Ocean Spirit would never lie," Yellow says earnestly. Blue grins slyly at this remark.

"You see? It's all perfectly fine."

* * *

"Where is he?" Green demands furiously.

Blue hums lightly, flicking her hair. The winter sun is just rising, and she has decided finally to answer the boy's enraged summons. "Where is who?"

"Don't play your games with me," he warns, and Blue rolls her eyes. Whatever respect he had for her initially seems to have dropped, and now he's melodramatic in the wrong kind of way. She would know. "You took my pendant, now you've taken my partner, but yet you-"

"Is there some kind of deep and tragic story behind that thing? You keep bringing it up."

"It's-" Green stops, seemingly recollecting himself. His eyes narrow cautiously. "…It's not mine."

"That's rather irresponsible, giving away others' treasures like that."

This seems to strike a chord with the boy, and Blue doesn't miss the way that his fists clench just a little more. To his credit, he says silent this time.

"Hmm…" She perks up a little, smiling. "How about we make a fun little deal! Tell me about your pendant and I'll tell you where Red is. Make sure your pendant story is interesting though. If it's not, you can just go away."

"Why do you want to know?" Green asks carefully.

"Well, technically it's mine now, so I have a right to know about it, don't I?" This answer doesn't seem to provoke anything and Blue sighs. "I'm just curious. It's not a very standard thing for a boy to be wearing around his neck if it holds no meaning."

"I didn't realise Mystiques cared so much about human matters."

"D-don't flatter yourself," Blue mutters lowly, looking off to the side. "It's not you I want to know about, it's the pendant."

"You're asking about me in relation to the pendant."

"…Are you going to tell me or not?" Blue flushes angrily, crossing her arms impatiently.

"It's nothing special," Green says after a few seconds. "It's just something my mother passed down to me."

"She's dead, isn't she." Blue twists a strand of hair around her fingers carelessly. She was expecting something much more dramatic.

"You don't seem to care much about that," Green says with a frown. "Because you're immortal?"

Blue lets out a hollow ring of laughter. "What a heedless statement. I've seen more deaths than you can ever hope to imagine. Many people die at sea. Some throw themselves in. Some are pushed. Why would I care about something I've seen so many times before? Human death means nothing to me."

"I'm right," Green says.

"No," Blue retorts. "Of course you're not."

"Tell me where Red is," he says after a short pause. For a moment Blue considers just not telling him, having obtained the information she wanted. And it seems a little rude to interrupt on Red and Yellow whilst they're having so much together, but she can't be bothered upsetting Green anymore and reluctantly holds out her arm.

"A little 'please' never hurt anyone, you know."

* * *

Green only coughs once as Blue throws him up to the shore, and both Red and Yellow come running over, faces clouded with curiosity. Some sand sticks to his hands as he stands up, but he doesn't seem to care enough to brush it off.

"Green!" Red exclaims, before turning to look at Blue. "You brought him over!"

"That I did," she says with a small shrug. "I'll probably regret it. And don't worry – I made sure he was clean before bringing him over."

"Clean?" Yellow questions. "Like not dirty? Wouldn't the water do that anyway though?"

"The Doll." Green sits up with a hard and difficult expression in his eyes. "Yellow."

"Wait, how do you-" Red starts.

"Ah, Mr. Oak!" Yellow gasps, eyes wide. Blue looks between them all, frowning.

"Hold up, what's going on here? Nobody told me you two already knew each other."

"Yeah, how come you didn't say anything, Green? That's kinda really helpful information!"

"But, Red, we already met once before too," Yellow points out. "I thought you remembered."

"Huh?"

"Oh wow, I regret this already," Blue says, shaking her head. " _What is going on_?"

" _Blue!"_

Blue startles and her head snaps around to where the voice is coming from, along with the other three of them. She watches as Crystal gets nearer, before she comes to a stop before them, hunched over and gasping.

"Hold up a little with the formalities there, won't you," Blue says with a monotone laugh, trying to ignore the boys staring at her.

"I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't- I wasn't-" Crystal says breathlessly, eyes teaming with tears and hands noticeably trembling as she stands upright again.

"The Star Girl," Green mutters, as Red just looks between the two Mystiques looking bemused.

"What's the matter?" Blue asks, now concerned. She wishes she could get closer to the girl, close enough to comfort her properly, but Crystal's stood too far away from the waves. "Hey."

"It's- it's Platinum," she gasps, as the tears fall down her face. "Apparently…she's been shot."

"…What?"

"Star Girl! Wait up!"

"Wh-what now?" Red says, looking around wildly. "More people?"

"Who's Platinum?" Yellow asks with fearful eyes. "A Mystique?"

Blue looks around, mind racing, and suddenly there's six people standing in front of her, including two boys that she doesn't recognise at all. There's a rush of confused voices around her, but all she can focus on is the echoes of _Platinum's been shot._

"Everyone," she says, voice low. "We need to get to Sinnoh _right now_."

* * *

Crystal sits back against the smooth rock, staring up at the night sky. There's a map of stars laid out in front of her, and she uses one hand to keep the corners from rolling back in. It's a little hard to see in the darkness, and the girl frowns as she drags the ink across the page. Nothing seems to be going right, no matter how she charts them.

She realises at that moment that maybe she needs to take a different approach to this. For hundreds of years she's been dimming the stars and making them shine more one region at a time, always trying to achieve a perfect sky. But maybe that's too inefficient, doing things one piece at a time like that. Maybe she needs to reset everything, start with a blank slate. That could work. It should work.

Crystal nods to herself, before scribbling across the map in black ink and folding the scroll back up and leaving it by the rocks, hidden in the beach. She kicks off her shoes and tucks them away safely, jogging off across the beach with bare feet.

At the top of the cliff, Crystal leans down, before setting off into a sprint and leaping off the edge. As her body flies through the air, she inhales sharply, and feels the sudden rush of light-headedness slam into her as everything flips. Opening her eyes again, she finds herself in almost complete darkness. The stars glitter from all ends of the distance, and Crystal smiles to herself. She'll be here a while.

It's time to get started.

* * *

By the time Crystal drops back down again, it's almost the end of the summer. Strangely, she doesn't see Blue whilst in the ocean, which she's a little glad about. It would take a long time to explain all the work she's doing, and there's no time to waste. She's only just getting started.

A crab has taken residence inside her left shoe, and Crystal shakes it out gently, watching it make its way back to the ocean. The scroll has been washed away by the rain, but her shoes are mostly fine. Her cloak is still tucked away neatly inside a small alcove, and she throws it over her shoulders. This should be okay for now, she reckons.

When Crystal goes into the town to see the market, there's something different. The tent is still there, sides blowing gently in the wind, but this time there's a _queue_ running outside of it. This is not standard. There has never been a queue.

Frowning, Crystal steps into the line of people and waits amongst the crowds. There're confused mutterings all around her, and she listens carefully.

"What do you think is happening," a woman in front of her asks. "Some kind of punishment? Reform?"

"What for?" the man next to her says with a frown. "This isn't right, I tell you."

Crystal purses her lips, having a daunting feeling they might be talking about her work. She wants to interject and point out that she hasn't even finished yet, but at the same time she needs to keep her identity sealed, especially in this big crowd.

As she moves forwards, Crystal catches the hint of the old man's voice, who looks a little strained with the sheer amount of people clamouring to speak to him. A mass of scrolls are spread out all over the floor, and she frowns at the mess being made. This isn't right at all.

"H-hold on one moment, I'm just…" he tries, glancing around helplessly. Then he seems to spot Crystal and his eyes widen. "Ah! It's you."

"What's going on?" she calls over the mess of voices. "Is everything alright?"

"It's- ah, excuse me," he says, manoeuvring around the people and tables. "Why don't we talk somewhere a little quieter?"

"We shouldn't leave the shop alone," Crystal counters. "Let's just talk here. What's going on?"

"People are…well, they're a little confused about the changes you've made to the night skies," the man says. "It is a bit of a drastic change, I must say."

"…I-I'm not finished yet," Crystal says, flushing a little. "They can't judge until I've finished; it's too soon to making comments like that."

She sighs and shakes her head in disbelief, before digging into the pockets of her shorts and pulling out several gold pieces. "Could I just have the most recent map, please? I need to work on a lot of things."

"Yes, yes, of course," the man nods, stumbling through the crowds and quickly emerging with a large scroll.

"Thanks – um, you can keep the change," Crystal says, waving goodbye hastily with the scroll tucked under her arm.

Once she's outside, she decides to get away from the crowds, setting off across a large open field in the centre of the town. The air is still warm, and she settles down on the grass, opening up the scroll in front of her and getting to work. A short while away, a church chimes to 11am.

She drags the ink across the page, making notes on certain parts of the sky. It's almost completely empty, other than a few minor areas she didn't dim down enough. It's better than expected after so long of not checking on anything though.

"What? What're you even talking about right now?"

There's a small area in the Eastern part of the map where there a clear few stars still remaining, she blots them out with a quick stroke.

"Don't try and pretend that you're right. It's obvious."

She swaps to the white ink, starting in the top corner of the map. Carefully and with expert precision, she starts a straight line across the top, every now and again tracing the boxes around each section with her finger to put things into perspective.

"You're crazy, man! You're the one that's wrong here!"

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah!"

"Think about what you're saying right now. Actually, I doubt you would ever do that, would you."

Crystal slams her pen down against the grass, letting out a hard sigh. With a little reluctance, she turns to look at where the noise is coming from, spotting a small inn in the distance. Two boys are stood yelling at one another, and it doesn't seem to be coming to an end any time soon.

"Seriously!" one yells, holding up his hands in exasperation. "It's not even opinions, it's just fact!"

"It's wrong," the other one says, looking a little bored though also somewhat irritated. "It doesn't take too much intelligence to see that, so even you should be able to figure it out."

"C'mon, you-" the first boy starts, before Crystal clears her throat loudly, glancing between the two of them. "Huh? Who're you?"

"I- it doesn't matter who I am," she says. "Please can you two quieten down a little? I'm trying to work."

"No, wait, you can help us out," the first boy says, suddenly grinning.

"And who are you, exactly?"

"You didn't tell us who you were," the second boy says with narrowed eyes. His gaze is cold and she blinks.

"…Fine," she says with a sigh, shaking her head. If she wants to work in peace, looks like she'll have to gain their trust. Crystal pulls down her hood in defeat, and the two boys stare at her.

"…I-I'm sorry," the second says, tensing up. "I didn't realise-"

"You're too untrusting," the first says, waving with his hand. "Probably 'cause you're a thief and that."

"E-excuse me?" Crystal blinks. "He's a thief?"

"Well, my name's Gold," he says, holding out a hand. She doesn't take it, too confused to think properly about the situation. "This guy here is Silver."

"You just told me he's a thief – is that what you're arguing about? I should call someone…"

"Oh, yeah, but don't let that bother you!" Gold swings his hand around and gives the boy a hard pat on the back. "He's really not that bad once you get to know him."

Silver stays quiet, staring at the ground.

"Okay, but listen," Gold says, face suddenly serious. "You know the stars, right? Well, what do you think of them?"

"…They're not finished yet," Crystal says, crossing her arm. "Why do people keep saying that? They're being impatient."

"Well, Silver keeps saying 'no, it's clear Star Girl has no idea what she's doing'-"

"Don't tell her that!" Silver hisses, flushing. He glances at Crystal for a second before looking away again, shifting uncomfortably.

"But I like them, right? Don't you think they look fine? People are being too harsh. Star Girl can't be all that bad, that's what I always say. They do say she's easy on the eyes though-"

"Shut up!" Silver looks like he wishes he could disappear. Crystal doesn't blame him.

"…Well," she says after a few seconds. "If that's all, could you please just keep your bickering down? Like I said, I'm trying to work, so-"

"What're you working on?" Gold asks, before shooting her a charismatic grin. "Need any help?"

"It's a map. I don't need any help."

"Not even a little bit?" He frowns at her. "Don't be so stingy! Okay, make a deal. One look at your work and then we'll shut up."

"…What's your profession?" she asks. "If you're both thieves, I have to say I'm not really comfortable being in your company…"

"No, no! I work in an orphanage!"

"…Really." She looks to Silver doubtfully, but the boy nods his head. She still isn't sure if she wants them looking at her work, but tries to convince herself that it's just a few minutes (if that), and then afterwards she'll be free to carry on working in peace. Or… "You know what, I think I'll just move somewhere else to work."

"What? What? No, c'mon, you can't do that! You've got me all curious now!"

He looks at her like a scolded puppy, amber eyes gleaming. She wants to find it annoying, and she's pretty sure she does, but finds herself relenting with a sigh anyway. "Fine. Fine."

Gold pumps his fist whilst Silver just sighs, placing his hands in his pockets. She eyes them warily, walking with her head held high just so they know not to try anything. Most people would know better than to steal from a Mystique anyway. Not that she has anything much worth stealing.

She leads them back to her spot on the grass, feeling a little like she's watching two (yapping, _still)_ disobedient dogs. They lean over and look over the map, and Crystal feels a little embarrassed when they look it for longer than a few seconds. It's not even complete.

"Stars?" Gold asks.

"Of course," Silver mutters. "What were you expecting?"

"Hmm…" Gold looks over Crystal for a few moments, and she tenses. If he tries anything, she's already told herself she will not hesitate to kick him. Hard. "Okay…Star Girl. Yeah! I'll just call you that from now on."

Crystal just sighs and rolls her eyes.

* * *

They end up being near the inn almost every time she tries to work on the grass. A multitude of times she tells herself she'll find somewhere else to work, but can never quite bring herself to do. She doesn't want to admit it, but Crystal is a little intrigued by the two. Maybe it's just because she hasn't really spoken properly to humans in a long time. She's not quite sure.

The autumn carries on, and soon the rains become more frequent. It makes it more difficult to keep working outside, but with so many people constantly going in and out of the tent, she can't reside and work there anymore. It's not like the rain bothers her, but it dissolves the paper and makes the ink run.

"Why don't you just come work in the orphanage?" Gold suggests one day, using a parasol as an umbrella and holding it over the scroll. Silver's nowhere to be seen, and it makes her a little suspicious. "C'mon, Star Girl. There's no way you can do your precious work in this kinda weather."

"…There's probably somewhere else I could go," she says hesitantly. "An orphanage doesn't really sound like the kind of environment you can work efficiently in."

"What if you like, just didn't work for once?" Gold suggests. "Come see where I work! I'm sure you'll like it."

"You are telling the truth, aren't you?" Crystal looks at him carefully. "I don't know what I'm supposed to believe here."

"About what?" He blinks in confusion.

"What do you think about? Is your friend Silver really a thief? Why do you work in an orphanage but keep such shady people in your company?"

"Like I said, he's not that bad once you get to know him. In most aspects, uh."

"He's a _thief_."

"Some people just have to do what they have to do survive, Star Girl." He shrugs, and the rain seems to pick up a little. Crystal's pigtails fall flat against her shoulders, and she sighs. "Just take one day off! Live a little! It's not like you live forever or anything."

She stares at him, but keeps her mouth shut. He really is some kind of idiot.

* * *

"Gold, Gold, who's this!"

A girl with high pigtails stares up at Crystal with wide eyes, whilst the other children run around behind her, either not noticing her or not caring. He grins and picks the girl up easily.

"This is Star Girl," he says, and Crystal thinks he looks like some kind of father with the young girl in his arms, even though she guesses he can't be any older than nineteen. "She doesn't trust us enough to tell us her name, but you can just call her that!"

"Star Girl?" the girl repeats, blinking widely.

"Um, hello," Crystal says unsurely. She tries to smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"This is Maizie," Gold says, ruffling her hair. "She's a pretty cool gal."

"Where's Silver?" she asks, looking around. She peers behind Crystal, before frowning. "He's not here."

"Sorry, yeah, Silv's busy today," he says, before putting her back down on the wooden floorboards. "You don't prefer him over me, though, do you? C'mon, I'm way better than that boring stick."

Crystal purses her lips with raised eyebrows, but says nothing. Maizie gives a large shrug before grinning mischievously (in a startlingly similar manner to Gold, Crystal notices) and running off to the back of the room. She starts talking to the other children, occasionally shooting glances towards the two.

"C'mon, let's go meet the others!"

"Hold on a minute," Crystal starts firmly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you actually bring Silver, _a thief¸_ to meet a group of young children? That's so irresponsible!"

"Oh man, Star Girl, I'm starting to regret ever telling you that," Gold groans, pushing his hair back. "It's not like he's some kind of criminal-"

"Except he is."

"He just steals 'cause that's like his only way of eating and stuff," he explains. "I mean, he can be kind of standoffish and annoying and overdramatic and not suave and whatever at first – well actually he's still like that even after you get to know him – wait, but, you can't just like stigmatise him like that, y'know?"

"Why can't he just get a job?" Crystal frowns, crossing her arms. "Even you're capable enough to do that, it seems."

"I dunno, he's had a pretty hard upbringing. I can get that though, I mean, I've never really struggled for money but a lot of the kids here are kinda the same. You just gotta accept it like, okay, this person isn't doing what I would do myself but that's alright, y'know?"

Crystal stares at him. "…I don't believe those words are yours."

"I'm paraphrasing something my mother said," Gold says, laughing sheepishly. "Whatever, y'know?"

"And also, it's not like I didn't tell you my name because I don't trust you," she carries on, huffing. "It's just…not a thing I normally do. Star Girl is good enough."

"You really think?" Gold says, grinning proudly as if he'd come up with himself.

"I-if you want to know, it's Crystal," she says, feeling her cheeks flush a little.

"Hmm…" He seems to consider this. "No, I think I'll stick with Star Girl."

"Fine then," she says, shaking her head.

"Hey, but, do you wanna meet some of the others? C'mon Star Girl, you're gonna love Joey, he's super fun to talk to!"

He grins at her brightly, and he looks so excited that she can't help smiling back just a little. Mostly because it's polite, anyway. No other reason. She supposes that her work can wait until the next day anyway – it's not like she doesn't have a long life in front of her, anyhow.

"Hey, and tomorrow you can take me to where you work!" Gold says suddenly. "You're always working on that map thing, I wanna see what kind of top class place you work in! I bet it's an observatory, isn't it?"

"…Um." Crystal thinks about the harsh conditions of space and how the boy's human body would fair. She's never tried it, but knows enough to know it won't end well. "Okay, I'll take you."

* * *

Crystal ends up not taking Gold to space for fear of accidentally murdering him in a more than gruesome manner, but does take him to the tent where the many astrological maps are sold. It's still a little crowded nowadays, but she manages to get there early enough so that there are only a few people are wondering around and talking to the old man.

"This is really where you work?" Gold asks, hands in his pockets. He looks around. "It's, uh…uh…well, I like it!"

"Really," Crystal says, raising an eyebrow. It's clear that not only is he underwhelmed, he's also completely out of his depth. She suspects he knows nothing about stars at all.

"Yeah, I really like this…" He picks up an old map of constellations. "These are nice, don't you think?"

"You think so?" Crystal blinks. "That wasn't my best work at all. I didn't like the shapes; they felt too boring and generic. But still, I'm glad you like them."

"You made this map then?" Gold asks, looking impressed.

"…No, I made the constellations."

"…Uh," Gold says, looking back at the map and then back at Crystal. "Sure, I mean…uh…what?"

"Why do you find that so hard to comprehend?" she asks, before realising something. "W-wait, I mean…you do know I'm the Star Girl, yes, of course you do…you call me that after all…so-"

"I called you that 'cause you like stars!" Gold says, eyes wide. "You- you're not seriously trying to tell me you're the actual Star Girl? The Mystique? Woah, no way."

"Of course I am!" Crystal exclaims. "How…how didn't you realise?"

"I dunno, it's not like it was obvious!" Gold says back, looking panicked. "Oh man, and that's why Silver…oh man, he's gonna kill me for not realising."

"I can't believe this," she groans, shaking her head in disbelief. "Who exactly did you think I was then?"

"I dunno, just some pretty girl who likes stars," he mutters, shrugging. "You know, you should have told me! Man, now I'm like, on a date with some Mystique, that's insane-"

"This isn't a date!" Crystal snaps, feeling her face flush. "Why would I be dating humans? I'm immortal, it could never work."

"Aw man, Star Girl, you're breaking my heart," he says, sighing sadly. "We should go and tell Silver about this!"

"He already _knows_ ," she says, letting out another sigh. "All this time going around in disguise and yet you don't even know who I am…"

"Wait, if you really are the Star Girl, then what do you think about the changes to the skies?"

"I- they're not done yet!"

"No, wait, rather than discuss it here, we should go and get Silver! I told you what he'd been saying, right? Man, that guy's gonna get it handed to him when I get you on my side."

Crystal looks at the ceiling of the tent, hearing the raindrops bounce off the material lightly from outside. How she managed to get into a situation like this, she doesn't know.

* * *

Silver looks embarrassed as Gold prompts him for his opinions, continuously shaking his head and glaring at the boy when he tries to imitate past comments. Crystal sits on the bench watching them both, a little amused whilst also somewhat offended. It does provoke a lot of thought about things though, and brings up things she'd never really considered before.

"I just thought it was a bit of an unneeded and drastic change," he mutters. "There was nothing wrong with the stars before."

"But now that they're all gone, it's way simpler! Who needs stars anyway? What are they even good for, y'know?"

"Um," Crystal says, crossing her arms. "Should I take that as an insult?"

"Wh- no, no, I didn't mean it like that-"

"Idiot," Silver says, rolling his eyes.

"Personally I think everyone just needs to wait until I'm finished with the whole thing," she says. "I'm planning to make the sky completely in order, all stars in parallel lines. Of course, I can't move them around, only dim and light up, so it'll take a while to find a way that works…still, at worse, it should only take around four hundred years overall to achieve the perfect sky."

"…Four _hundred?"_ Gold blanches, gaping.

"It's really not that long," Crystal points out.

"Maybe not for you!"

"How long would it take to return things back to normal?" Silver asks warily.

"Hm…probably not that much longer than it took to clear them," she says, frowning in thought. "Maybe. It might take a bit longer, so I'd estimate about only a single year."

"…I vote you just put them back to normal, thinking about it," Gold says, looking increasingly worried. "Th-there's nothing wrong with them being all over the place, y'know!"

"So now you agree," Silver says lowly.

"They're too messy," Crystal says, shaking her head. "Nobody needs that kind of disorganisation cluttering up the skies. It would stress people out."

"Nobody cared beforehand," Silver points out.

"…Well," Crystal says, shifting a little. She glances towards the sky, watching the grey clouds drift slowly across. "…I don't know."

There's a small silence, before Crystal catches voices in the distance. When she glances over to look, she sees a few of the local village watchmen walking past. They have shiny pieces of metal attached to their uniforms, and Crystal is briefly reminded of Blue and her love for jewellery. It's been so long since they last saw each other…maybe she should ask her about what she thinks of the stars.

"Gold," Silver says quietly, his voice tense. "…Let's go to the orphanage."

"Huh? Why now?"

"…It might rain soon," he says after a pause, looking down at the grass. The watchmen walk closer towards them, and Silver stands up briskly. It doesn't take Crystal long to connect the dots, but she isn't sure exactly what to say about the situation. Silver is some kind of outlaw, that's a fact, but then she reflects back on what Gold says, and keeps her mouth shut.

"Yeah, we might as well," Gold says, standing up and stretching. "Maizie was asking where you'd gone last time, y'know. Man, I must be doing something wrong if they prefer you over me."

Silver says nothing, but Crystal notices a small smile on his face. These boys are too hard to place, she thinks. Difficult to analyse, but she doesn't mind too much.

* * *

When they get back to the orphanage, there seems to be some kind of chaos amongst the children. One of the other workers is trying to calm them down, to no avail. Gold at once assumes a serious face, cutting through the crowds as Crystal and Silver wait hesitantly by the door.

"Gold!" a familiar voice calls out, and the boy picks up Maizie, whose face is covered in tears. "Gold, Gold! It's so bad!"

"Hey, what's going on?" he asks, frowning. "Has something happened?"

"There's not gonna be any snow!" she cries. "Ever at all ever!"

Crystal narrows her eyes, tensing a little. Snow…it's only the beginning of winter, so she…

"What're you talking about?" Gold asks, looking around at the others.

"They hurt the Snow Girl!"

"Snow Girl?"

"Wait, wait," Crystal cuts in, a cold feeling enveloping her body. "Snow Girl…do they mean the Snowflake Enchantress?"

Maizie nods, sniffing. "They said she died! They said they killed her!"

"Platinum," she says under her breath. A sudden wave of terror crashes through her body and she swallows. "Are…are you sure…I mean, there's no way…they can't have _killed_ her…"

"They said so!"

"Who said so, Maizie?" Gold asks firmly.

"There's been a bulletin sent from the south of Sinnoh confirming it," the other worker exclaims, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She looks grave, and Crystal can hardly bare to stand it. "Apparently they pierced her heart with an arrow, using some of their best archers. Whole town was in on it, they're saying."

"She's dead!" the young girl wails.

"No, no, she can't…" Crystal shakes her head, unable to believe what she's hearing. In a sudden fit of terror, she sprints out of the orphanage, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Hey, wait-!"

Her feet hit the ground hard, and she runs as fast as she can, aiming towards the ocean. Blue was last in Johto, and Crystal hope with everything she has that she's still there. Ignoring the calls from behind her, Crystal runs on. Platinum has to be alright, she has to be.

* * *

There's a sharp gust of cold air, and Sapphire winces, feeling the breeze against her bare arms and legs. The other Mystiques can't feel temperature, and she counts them lucky for this, even though she does love to feel the hot sun in the summer. In the winter though, it's not as fun.

She draws her legs closer to her body, bundled up at the base of a tree, palms pressed hard against the frozen soil. Her eyes are heavy as she stares down at the dead leaves around her, feeling a strong exhaustion grow and grow as the seconds pass on. By now, she would normally be long asleep. Long, long, long asleep, happily hibernating until the spring comes around and the air begins to warm up and there is fresh rain rather than piercingly cold drizzles. But at this moment, she can't sleep. She can't sleep because there's just too much to think about. Too much to make her moods fall.

Someone's shoes crunch against the soil and leaves, and Sapphire shifts her head just a little to look at the person. They stare back, looking a little confused, before frowning. She wants to get up but she just feels too tired right now.

"I wasn't expecting you to be awake this time of the year," Ruby says nonchalantly, a notepad once again held under his arm. He's wearing a thick jacket and Sapphire envies him suddenly. "I thought you normally sleep in the winter – or at least, that's what the townspeople told me. Hm, what an information source they are."

"Normally am sleepin' by now," she mutters.

"Well, maybe now you'll come to your sense and let me make you some kind of outfit," he says, walking over to her. "Honestly, what's with that? I know Mystiques are resistant to temperature but-"

"Nah, I'm not."

"…Well, that's even more of a reason to make you some new clothes!" he says happily, reaching in his pocket and taking out a roll of measuring tape. "Now, let me take your measurements!"

She doesn't move.

"Can't even comprehend with that, can you," he mutters irritably, shoving it back into his pocket. "And why has your hair gotten shorter? Did somebody cut it for you, because I have to say, it looks nice. Not great, not fantastic, but nice."

"…Go away," she says lowly, before letting her head drop onto her knees. Tears begin to form in her eyes and she tries to hold them off to the best of her ability. Ruby seems to stop at this, looking somewhat taken aback.

"…Are you okay?" he asks, leaning down beside her with concerned eyes. "Did I upset you? I wasn't trying to be offensive, and I know how picky those girls can get with their looks-"

"Nothin' to do with that stupid stuff," she says gruffly, frowning.

"Well, what is it then?"

"…Haven't yer heard," she murmurs. "'Bout the Snowflake Enchantress."

"Ah, she's so beautiful," Ruby says, smiling. Then he stops. "Oh, you mean about how she got shot, don't you? …Oh. Of course."

Sapphire nods a single time.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be okay," he says, giving her an encouraging smile. "I heard that it didn't kill her, and all the other Mystiques, including The Doll, have gone to see her. Actually, saying that, why haven't you gone?"

"I would've," Sapphire says dully. "But I can't handle the cold, and I should be asleep anyway. It's too far. I can't."

"That won't do at all," Ruby says, shaking his head in disapproval. "You know, when I was younger, I had to move all the way from the Johto region to Hoenn. All the way! In a boat! And it was the worst experience of _my life_ , honestly. Have you ever been on a boat? Don't ever go on a boat."

Sapphire rolls her eyes at him, almost wishing she could climb the tree she's sat under just to escape his babbling. Another cold gust blows past her and she shivers. Ruby stares at her and she tries her best to glare intimidatingly back, though she's not sure how good of a job she does.

"Won't you let me make you some kind of warm clothes?" he asks. "Surely you'll freeze to death!"

"We're in Hoenn," Sapphire points out. "Winter here is nothin'."

"Nothing unless you're wearing an outfit made completely of leaves that covers maybe ten percent of your body! You're not even wearing shoes, for goodness sake! No, this simply will not do."

"Go away," she says again. Another image of Platinum laying pale and still with only colour visible being the red of her blood. She can't bear it. She doesn't want Platinum to die, even if they've only met a few times within both of their lifetimes. They're friends.

"Let me at least make you a jacket," he says. "…And some shoes. And a skirt."

"No skirts," she growls. Then an idea comes to her head, maybe she's delirious with the cold or maybe there's just something perusable about the way he talks about it. "If yer make the outfit from only natural materials, maybe I'll wear it."

"Really?" His eyes practically shine, and he jumps up straight away. "Oh, this will be so exciting! It'll be like a scavenger mission, I mean the forest will still be filthy but it's not as bad in the winter at least…ah, actually in the winter, it might be a little harder…but no! I won't be off put, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! The Forest Guardian, wearing my clothes! And even after I die, well, you're immortal! You'll be wearing them for centuries to come - oh my gosh, this is just too much…"

"Don't make me regret it," she mumbles, frowning. "And no measurements! Keep that thing away from me."

"Hmm…I'll just have to guess then, it seems," he muses, looking her over far too closely for her comfort. "It'll be hard, but not impossible! I'll have them to you as soon as I can!"

Ruby pulls out his notebook from under his arm and starts to work furiously fast, hand moving faster than she imagined a human could ever write. He glances at her occasionally, and she shifts uncomfortably.

"There we go!" he announces happily only after minor minutes. Before Sapphire can even reply to this, he sprints off across through the trees. "Soon as I can, I'll make sure of it!"

Sapphire sighs and puts her head back on her knees. She hopes Platinum is okay, and not mad that she's spending such a crucial time on wasteful activities such as clothing.

* * *

She isn't quite sure how much time passes, but one day Ruby comes bounding through the trees, his eyes widening when he catches a glance of her. It be somewhere in the middle of the winter by this point, since it seems to be even colder by this point. He's wearing an even larger coat than last time, and she reckons he looks ridiculous. The cold may be painful at times, but it's still part of nature and she thinks he's trying too hard to avoid it.

"There you are!" he says, coming up to her with something held in his arms, covered with a black material. She stares at it, confused. "I've been looking for you everywhere, I hope you do realise. You better appreciate this, because I put a lot of hard work into it."

He pulls the material off whatever it is he's holding, and only then does she remember that he had agreed to make her some clothes. With a proud and somewhat smug smile, he holds up a jacket made entirely of leaves, vibrant and green. It contrasts deeply against the dull browns of the forest they're in.

"I had to go all the way to _Fortree_ to get these leaves," he states, and she looks it over. "It was the only place where the forests weren't completely dead, and the leaves there are more tropical, so I was able to get some good waterproof ones. And don't worry; I didn't even take them from the trees! My assistant reckoned you wouldn't appreciate if I harmed any nature whilst I was there, so there you have it. I made an entire line of clothes based on the concept, you know."

"…Good for you," she says, hardly taking in much of what the boy's saying. "Is it…is it okay to wear…?"

"Of course it is," Ruby says proudly. "Now you won't have to freeze to death!"

"Mystiques are…immortal," she mutters, a little unsure of how true this is now. Maybe it actually just means ageless. She hopes it means immortal though, just so Platinum can survive.

"Adding to that, I have a little proposal for you," he starts, making a face like he's the most amazing person to walk the planet. Sapphire snorts. "You said you wanted to get to Sinnoh, didn't you? Why don't we take a trip there?"

"…What?" Sapphire says, eyes widening. "Why…why would yer do somethin' like that…?"

"Oh, no reason," Ruby says lightly. "Or, well…it would be a wonderful opportunity to show off my work in person to all those that we meet on the way."

"Of course," Sapphire groans. "Anyway, we can't. Sinnoh's too far away. And I can only travel in forests, yer should know that."

"Actually, I asked around, and it turns out there is a way to get there travelling just through forests!" He winks proudly. "Truly, I am magnificent."

"…Still too far," she says, trying to ignore the urge to argue against that last point.

"Well, it should take about four months," Ruby says, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a map. There's a long mark drawn along in red ink, trailing from Hoenn all the way up to Sinnoh. "And obviously we can stop a few times on the way, because I've showcased events along the way in certain towns…you're okay with wearing a dress, aren't you?"

Sapphire lets out a long groan, now also noticing the various blue circles on the map along the route of the red line. Ruby gives her a grateful smile, even though she hasn't actually agreed to anything yet.

"So let's set off tomorrow! To show the world beautiful, all natural fashion as modelled by a Mystique!"

"And t'see the Snowflake Enchantress," Sapphire points out.

"What? Oh, right, that too."

She considers taking the jacket off for a moment, before leaving it draped around her corners. His personality may not be as warm as his clothes, but it'll do.

"Actually, I recently came up with idea to make forest made make-up too, rather than the typical gemstones they crush up. You can wear that too!"

…Four months is a long time, however.

* * *

As it turns out, four months is incredibly long amount of time to spend travelling. Multiple times she considers ditching him, especially as the spring emerges and she begins to get her energy back, but she needs the map so she won't get lost. She knows the forests of Hoenn like the back of her hand, but the ones in Sinnoh are somewhat unfamiliar.

"Hmm…there's probably a shortcut somewhere around here," he says, glancing carefully at the map. She's noticed how he only sits on the damp soil with a cover underneath, and rolls her eyes at his pseudo-delicacy. "No wait, we can't cut through there…we have an event in the next town…"

"Just skip the stupid event!" Sapphire groans. "We need t'get to Snowpoint as soon as we can!"

"Sinnoh is a place of amazing fashion though," Ruby says defiantly. "It's important I display my creations off in as many places as I can!"

"Don't yer understand the seriousness of the situation here?" she yells, tugging on her hair in frustration.

"Don't ruin your hair just as it's getting longer again! It needs to look good for our next show!"

Sapphire lets out a long groan. "Is stupid fashion the only thing yer care about?!"

"Not the only thing! It's just…something I care about very much."

"I don't get it," she says, shaking her head. "Not at all. Why would yer wanna waste your short human life on stuff like clothes?"

"Th-there's actually a good reason for it!" Ruby counters, looking offended. Then he stops and rubs his cheek awkwardly, face sheepish.

"…What are yer looking sly for?"

"Well, if you _really_ want to know why I love fashion so much," he starts, not meeting her eyes. "It's…it's actually because of you, you know."

"…Me?" Sapphire blinks. "…Huh?"

"I'm a little shocked you didn't remember such a _life changing_ event, if I'm honest." Ruby raises his eyebrows at her, and she stares, confused. "It was around…hm…twelve? Maybe thirteen, years ago."

"How old are yer now?" Sapphire asks, trying to think back.

"Eighteen, of course! That's another one of the reasons they adore me so much, because my talent is so precocious! I've been designing since I was eleven, of course none of those were really that good – actually, that depends on how you define it-"

"Are yer gonna get on with it or not?"

"Would it hurt you to learn some basic respect for others?"

"Dunno, I was thinkin' the same for you."

"People love me!" Ruby gasps dramatically. "I've never heard anyone say anything about being disrespectful or the like!"

"Yeah, well, maybe yer just don't listen enough," Sapphire mutters lowly. "Anyway, carry on with yer story. I'm curious now."

"Well, _thank_ _you_ for finally letting me continue," he says, and she grits her teeth. "It was a little while over I moved here, and I'm not sure exactly where it was, but it was a very inspirational moment for me. You're probably wondering why, well, it was because I was out exploring in the forests – I used to be quite astoningishly rowdy, believe it or not – but I got into an accident and hurt myself."

"Nah, I don't remember none of this," Sapphire says, shaking her head.

"Well, _obviously_ , because you weren't there yet." Ruby smooths his hair back and exposes a scar on his forehead. "Well anyway, I was just there, bleeding and pretty much almost _unconscious,_ but then I see this beautiful, and I mean _beautiful_ young woman come over and pick me up, and carry me back to the forest's edge. I don't remember what happened next, probably because I'd passed out, but I remember the woman clearly. The Forest Guardian!"

"Beautiful woman?" She considers this. "Nah, no way that was me."

"Don't you _remember?"_

"…Vaguely," she admits, trying to piece together the events from back then to now. "Yer look too old to be him, don't yer? It wasn't that long ago."

"Surprisingly, humans actually grow," Ruby points out, as if she wasn't aware of this. "But anyhow, I was just inspired that I saw such a prepossessing sight - especially when I was almost on the _brink of death_ that I decided I must settle down and try to convey the beauty of it all!"

"…I don't get it," she says at last, face blank.

"Neither do I actually, and do you want to know why?" He doesn't wait for a response. "In all the books I read, it says that the Forest Guardian is a gentle but strong minded being of passion for the forest, full of sweet charms and kind words. That isn't at all an accurate representation, I have to say."

"That was a long time ago," she says, scowling. "People change."

"But why? It's not like any of the other Mystiques changed as much."

"'Cause of all the new technology stuff! Metal to cut down trees, poisonous liquids that kill off insects and flowers – what's their problem, huh? You can't trust nobody! Humans are awful!"

"You do realise it's not all bad, don't you?" Ruby sighs and rolls his eyes when she stays scowling. "I know a young boy managed to save some animal's life using new medical research. Apparently, you actually instructed him to."

"That coughin' kid?"

"His name's Wally."

"Yeah well, I felt bad for the kid. And I'm pretty sure if I'd have looked after it for a while, it would've been fine."

"But it's like you said, people change. So does the world. New developments make things better more than they make things worse."

"…That's another thing worryin' me," Sapphire mutters, staring at the ground. "They came after P- the Snowflake Enchantress 'cause of the times changin'. What's to say they're not comin' after me too? Or all of us?"

"Hm, well. I'm not sure about that. If you ask me, those people are completely overreacting – I would know. The Snowflake Enchantress is completely _alluring_ , she really makes the minimalist style work for her. Actually, all of the Mystiques have a beautiful aspect about them – wait, do you know the Ocean Spirit?"

"'Course I do," Sapphire says, staring at him with a doubtful face. "Why you wanna know?"

"I was just wondering, maybe I could make her an outfit like I did with you – something that could resist being underwater for so long!"

She sighs irritably, fed up with this conversation. "Yer know, if we don't hurry up, we won't make it past the swampiest areas before the rain hits."

"And?"

" _Mud_ ," she hisses threateningly, trying not to grin as Ruby throws himself back dramatically, eyes wide and mouth open. "Tons of thick mud. It doesn't bother me, but I dunno, yer might be a little bothered by it-"

"We have no time to talk!" Ruby exclaims loudly. "Onwards!"

* * *

"Um, I hope I'm doing this right…"

"You're doing a great job, just keep it up!"

"Looks good to me."

"Th-thanks…"

Platinum is vaguely aware of a collection of voices, though she can't exactly place where. It feels like they're far away, too far away to hear, but yet if she concentrates she can hear every word they're saying. Her body feels light, but when she thinks about that for too long, she becomes unsure of whether she can feel her body at all. There's a sudden sharp pain in her chest, and then a horrifying feeling of falling and falling and falling-

Her eyes snap open as she gasps, glancing around whilst breathing frantically. A crowd of people stand around her with wide eyes, some of whom she recognises and others she does not.

"Ah, you're awake!" a girl with bright eyes says, smiling warmly.

"Thank goodness!" A familiar face, Crystal (the Star Girl) leans down and wraps her in a hug, tear in her eyes. "I was so worried!"

"…What happened?" Platinum says, glancing around and frowning. "Who are…all of these people?"

They're definitely in her house, but she can't quite place what time it is nor what exactly the occasion is.

"Oh, um, sorry about that!" The first girl says, looking a little sheepish. "I'm Yellow!"

"Better known as The Doll," a boy mutters.

"'Chantress, you're awake!" This is a voice she does recognise and she smiles happily upon seeing Pearl and Diamond grinning at her through shiny eyes. "We thought you were a goner for sure!"

"We should probably give her some space, right?" Yellow says. "I mean, she did only just wake up…"

"Yeah, she's right," another boy she doesn't recognise says, nodding. Before Platinum can question anything else, they flood out of the room and she's left alone with just Pearl and Diamond. She sighs, feeling a lot more at ease.

"What exactly is going on?" she asks, now noticing a layer of bandage around her chest. She touches them carefully, aware that her dress is ripped around the areas they've been applied to. "…Am I hurt?"

"They, uh, they kind of…shot you with an arrow," Pearl explains, rushing the last part of the statement. "But they're sorry about it now! Seriously!"

"…Shot me?" Platinum lets her hand drop and stares at her lap. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, those guys are just stupid!"

"They won't hurt you anymore," Diamond says with a nod.

"But, you never told us!" Pearl exclaims. "We always thought that you made the snow fall when you went outside, but it's been snowing even more and you've been resting in here for weeks!"

"You thought I _made_ the snow?" she repeats, blinking in confusion. "How could I do such a thing?"

"Every~body thought you did that," Diamond says. "But you don't."

"I don't," she agrees firmly. "The Ocean Spirit did not make the ocean, the Star Girl did not create the stars and the Forest Guardian did not raise the trees from the ground. We simply watch over and make sure things do not get out of hand."

"So…you make sure there's not too much snow?" Diamond asks slowly.

"To a certain extent," Platinum says.

"I didn't know that," Pearl says, eyes wide. "But now that everyone knows you don't make the snow fall they're really sorry about trying to do that to you. And me and Dia yelled at them for it! Right, Dia?"

"We were really mad," Diamond agrees with a nod.

"Thank you," she says after a few moments. "But I am wary that they still do not trust me."

"It'll take time, I guess," Pearl says with a shrug. "But this time, me and Dia will be your bodyguards! We're not gonna let anyone even slightly hurt you again!"

"I do not need protecting," Platinum says defiantly, before noticing their faces. "…However, you have permission to keep the townspeople in order and to make sure they harm me no more."

The two grin at each other, and slap their palms together. Platinum watches carefully.

"In order to properly fulfil your role, you will need to be aware of my mortal name," she says, keeping her eyes and head high.

"R-really?" Pearl exclaims. "For real?"

"You may address by the name of Platinum – though only in private."

"Platinum…" Diamond seems to muse over this. "It's pretty."

"It completely fits you!" Pearl says with a satisfied nod.

"Anyhow, other than that, I must ask about all the people that were gathered here before," she says, glancing at the door. They're probably all still gathered in her kitchen.

"Oh yeah, you never told us you had all international friends!" Pearl says excitedly. "There're people from Kanto _and_ Johto, and there's even news there're some people from Hoenn coming to see you, along with the Forest Guardian! The Ocean Spirit came too, along with the Star Girl and even The Doll!"

"Popular~," Diamond says happily.

"No, I don't know the majority of them," Platinum says, frowning. "I only know the other Mystiques, which does not include The Doll."

"It's a good thing she came though, 'cause me and Diamond know nothing about medicine and stuff," Pearl says. "That guy with the green eyes kept telling her what to do but I think she knew a lot of it anyway."

"I see…" she says, trying to take this into account. "And the other?"

"I think that's probably her boyfriend or whatever," Pearl says, shrugging. "I dunno. I didn't get too much time to talk to them."

"Hm…" Platinum muses. "…So…am I allowed to return back outside once more?"

"Already? What about your wounds?"

"Mystiques cannot die," she says firmly.

"Are you kidding? You totally almost died before!"

"I did not."

"You did, you so did," Pearl says exasperatedly. "Don't you think, Dia?"

"Maybe," he says after a few seconds silence. Pearl doesn't seem satisfied with this answer in the slightest. Platinum stares between them and smiles just a little, holding her hand to her mouth to stop her giggles. She feels a little more accepted, even if it is just a little.

* * *

There's a gentle snowfall coming down as Platinum sits outside the house, alone and staring up at the white sky. By the steps up the door is a clumsily built snowman, provided by both Pearl and Diamond. They placed the material from her ripped dressed around its neck as a scarf, and Platinum supposes it does have a certain cute element to it, as badly constructed as it is. She's made sure to ease up the snowfall a little since waking up however, as there was so much of it during the times she couldn't control anything. Everything seems mostly back to normal now.

"Mind if I join you?"

Platinum looks up and sees the blonde haired girl, Yellow, staring at her with wide eyes and a small smile. She shakes her head, and the girl sits down beside her happily, dressed in a thick wrap of clothing, complete with her own scarf and hat.

"You are susceptible to temperature?" Platinum asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes; I'm not a Mystique," Yellow says, laughing a little. There's a small pause as Platinum is unsure of what to say next, before Yellow speaks up again. "I'm glad to see that you're okay."

"Thank you," she says, looking back up at the sky. "Please do not take this rudely, but may I ask why you decided to come here? I do not recall having met you before."

"Oh, I'm friends with Blue," she says, giving a light-hearted shrug. "I didn't mean to intrude, I just didn't want to stay behind when there was something I might be able to do to help."

"And the others too?"

"I think Red and Green just came because Blue wanted them to," Yellow explains. "Red says that she teased them a lot, but I think she likes them really. Otherwise she just wouldn't have bothered with them, right?"

Platinum is unable to reply, as at the moment the door to her house opens and the boys of which they had been discussing exit, also wrapped up tightly in warm clothing.

"Green, c'mon-"

"Yellow," the boy starts, voice sharp and face stern. "We need to talk."

"Huh? What about?"

"Would you like for me to leave?" Platinum asks, getting ready to stand.

"Y-"

"Nah, it's okay," Red says, grinning at her. "It's nothing really that serious; you don't have to leave if you're doing all your Mystique-y stuff."

"Red," Green says quietly, and Platinum wonders whether in actuality she should leave after all. Still, they told her not to, and she doesn't want to risk offending them by leaving when it is not required of her.

"What do we need to talk about?" Yellow asks, eyes wide. Red sits down next to her, and Platinum finds it interesting to watch how the girl seems both embarrassed and happy about the action. Green stays standing, staring.

"You know what we need to talk about," he says, eyes narrowed.

"…Um," Yellow says, looking at them helplessly. "D-do I?"

"I think he means about how you guys know each other or something," Red suggests. Platinum doesn't find it too strange that three humans from the same region would know each other, but apparently there is some kind of discussion to be had about it. She stays silent and watches the conversation she's not really sure she should be watching.

"Mr- um, Green used to tutor me, back when I was in my schooling," Yellow explains. "He was really strict, but he taught me a lot. Even if there some really obvious stuff I didn't know, heh…"

"Really?" Red looks at Green carefully. "You never told me that."

"It was- it was a long time ago, it doesn't matter anymore," he says, not meeting their eyes. "Besides, you never told me that you two had met before."

"I honestly didn't know!" Red laughs. "I just thought she was someone who looked like they could use a hand! And c'mon, that was years ago. Makes sense for me to have forgotten, doesn't it? Way longer than when you were doing your tutoring."

"That's not what's important here though," Green carries on, and the harshness in his voice makes Platinum feel like she's getting told off. "Red, you need to take this seriously. Think about this a little."

"Think about what?" Red asks, and Yellow looks between the two of them, seemingly lost. "…Wait, you're not-"

"We have to."

Red suddenly turns angry, a face that Platinum wouldn't have imagined looks so fitting compared with his previous personality. "Green, you can't be serious! You're telling me to think about it, well didn't _you_ think about this at all?"

"Um, calm down," Yellow tries, glancing nervously at the two. "I'm sure there's nothing to get mad about…"

"This is what I was afraid of," Green sighs, shaking his head. "Red, you let yourself get too caught up in your emotions."

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" Red challenges.

"Hey…" Yellow tries again, and Platinum feels a little awkward having to witness this. "Calm down; it's okay."

"I should leave," Platinum says, standing up briskly. "Sorry for the intrusion."

Nobody seems to pay her much attention as she leaves, making her way up the stairs and trying not to make too much noise. The argument carries on behind her, and she feels glad to be getting away from it.

"Green, you're insane if you think I'm gonna let you do what I think you're gonna do!"

"We have to! Don't be so stupid-"

"Please, just try to calm down. You're best friends, y-you shouldn't be fighting like this!"

"Not when he's trying to _kill_ you, Yellow!"

Platinum stops in the open door way at this, suddenly extremely aware of what's being said. She turns around a little in the silence of the scene, as the snow continues to fall on her bare shoulders.

"…What?" the girl says, eyes wide and confused. "…K-kill…?"

Green sighs whilst Red seems to be having some kind of internal panic. "Wait, I didn't mean-"

"Why are you…" Yellow looks to Green, now looking fearful. Platinum feels a little empathetic – she's been in that situation.

"The Doll," he says firmly. "We have to kill The Doll. The failed Mystique."

"Green-!" Red hisses.

Yellow stares at them for a few seconds, obvious conflict and turmoil visible on her face, before she shuts her eyes tightly and sprints away from the scene, charging off across the deep snow. She's small, and doesn't run fast, but neither of the boys chase after her. Red seems to want to, but is stopped by Green's hand.

"Leave her," he says shortly. "She had to learn eventually."

Red says nothing, and Platinum finally gathers the will to shut the door quietly behind her. She reflects on what she's just seen, and is somewhat unsure of what to say. It feels like she's missed something, something important, and makes a note to ask Diamond and Pearl about it. For now, she'll just leave them to it. It should be okay like that.

* * *

 **wooo next chapter!  
** **i almost broke my wrist writing this hehe (not actually but ")  
** **i should really write the chapters before publishing them like a smart cookie would orz  
** **next and final chapter should be published on Christmas so let's hope I can make it in time woo** **  
anyway, hope you enjoyed!  
**


	3. part3 - a ray of sunshine

The snow falls softly around her, landing on her cheeks before melting on contact with her warm skin. It sticks to her hair and on her eyelashes, and she shivers alongside her sobs.

…They want to kill her.

She huddles up tightly, fingernails digging tightly into her arms. There are thousands of thoughts flooding through her head, swarming tightly within every inch of her mind. It feels like her heart is straining within her chest, and Yellow can't hold back the wave of tears that hits her.

It all makes sense, but she really doesn't want it to. Just that one thing, she had that glimmer of hope that it might not be as it seemed, and things could go back to normal and she'd live a normal life and everything would be okay, and nobody would have to suffer or get hurt and it would all just be _okay_.

 _You can't avoid it forever._

"I can," Yellow murmurs to herself, voice wavering and small. "I can, I can…I can I can I can…"

She remembers when she was so much younger, maybe eleven or twelve. And Green, he must have only been about fourteen, not much older than her in truth, but in his actions she saw him as a full grown adult. All the times she couldn't remember the answer, the times she hurt herself, the times she was uncertain…he helped look after her, like a doting big brother. There were moments that she even wondered whether he cared about her, as if she wasn't just a puppet to the leaders.

" _We've gone through this before," Green sighs irritably, and Yellow purses her lips sheepishly whilst craning to get a look at the book in front of him. Before she can see anything clearly, he slams the book shut, making her flinch. "Yellow, you're not taking this seriously. Again."_

" _S-sorry," she murmurs, dipping down a little into her seat. She then notices a bandage wrapped around the boy's left arm, only just visible under the sleeve. "Are you okay? How did you do that?"_

" _That's not important," he says, adjusting his sleeve to completely cover the injury. He stares into her eyes firmly with complete authority and she glances at the floor. "Yellow."_

 _She doesn't say anything in return. There's a small silence and she plays with her fingers nervously._

" _You understand that I'm doing this only for your sake," he says at last. "For your own good."_

" _I do," she says quietly. Absentmindedly, she takes a strand of short hair between her fingers. "Sorry, Mr. Oak."_

"… _Let's continue." He opens up the book again, and questions her once more._

She shudders again, thinking it all over. There was always something, something frightening and threatening telling her that the life she was living wasn't a normal one. Even if was where she was brought up all her life, ever since she can remember. Maybe it was Green's subtle reactions to everything she said or did or maybe she just always knew better than that. Yellow isn't sure.

Dark, scary, lonely rooms. Sharp, angry, loud voices. The blood. The _blood._

Yellow forces her eyes open, staring hard into the blindingly bright snow. She tries her hardest not to think about any of it, but she's spent nineteen years pretending that nothing was ever wrong and now it's just too much.

That's not all there was though. Amongst the nightmares, there were some moments where things were a little lighter, even for just a moment. Yellow takes a gasp, trying to slow her breathing and focusing on her nicer memories. The good things, the good things.

" _Hey, are you okay?" he says to her, but she can't see his eyes._ He might have been smiling, but her memory is too blurry to tell. _"Don't worry, you-"_

She isn't sure anymore. Maybe that didn't even happen, maybe she never did meet Red that one day, and maybe he never gave her any comforting words. But then why did she keep going? But he doesn't even remember himself.

It doesn't matter anymore. Red and Green found her again, but it wasn't because they wanted to see her again or to know her. They want to kill her.

It's obvious why, because she wasn't good enough and failed. She was a failure. She's still a failure. They called her The Doll whilst they shaped her into the perfect role to become one – the fifth Mystique. But it didn't work and now they know what's she seen and she knows she's seen too much and now they know they have to get rid of her.

For a moment, Yellow wonders back to her friendship with Blue. That probably wasn't much of a friendship either. Mystiques are immortal, and they have no time for human life like her. It was probably just a game for her, a game for all of them. They never really cared.

He was right. She really can't avoid it forever.

"I'm so sorry," she says aloud, pulling herself up from her spot in the snow. "I'll fix this. I promise."

The footprints she leaves are light and quickly covered up again by the falling snow.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Blue exclaims, eyes wide and disbelieving. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that she's just gone missing?"

The two boys stand silently on the light snow scattered across the beach, a range of different emotions scattered across their faces. Blue just stares waiting, telling herself readily that if she could reach them she would have her hands around their necks right now.

"Something like this was bound to happen eventually," Green says eventually, arms folded and head just a little lower than usual.

"I'm sorry," Red murmurs, waves of conflict visible in his eyes. "It was my fault – I didn't realise she didn't know…I'm sorry…"

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone?" Blue asks, frowning. "She's nowhere in the ocean, so I have no clue."

"She always had a habit of isolating herself whenever she got upset," Green says lowly. Red tenses, turning to the boy sharply.

"What the hell kind of tutoring were you doing?" he asks, fists clenched.

"That's not important."

"No, no actually, I think it is right now," Blue says, narrowing her eyes at the boy. "I feel like there's just far too much that I don't know here. Why are you being so secretive about all this? I'm a Mystique; I won't allow you to keep secrets from me."

"With what power?" Green stares back at her equally as hard. "You can't direct the ocean."

"I've never tried," Blue hisses. "I'll happily let your village be the first to go under."

"Green, just tell us!" Red exclaims. "She's right; we need to know about this stuff. You're probably the only one that knows and I feel like there's something really serious going on here."

He stays silent.

"I've known you all my life! Do you seriously not trust me enough to tell me?"

"It's not that," he says sharply. "These are just things that I hoped I'd never have to talk about ever again. I wanted them to be behind me. I know it's foolish, but I hoped it could be so anyway."

"…Tell us," Blue says. "It's not like you can avoid it forever."

"I always used to tell her that," Green mutters. Then he pauses. "…Do you already know that she was supposed to be another Mystique?"

"Of course," Blue snaps. "Everybody knows that. But, I mean…I don't really know what that entailed exactly. Why, what did you do?"

"I knew I shouldn't have been working there," he starts. "I was too young, but I had the intelligence and they paid well. It's not like me and my sister would have had enough with just her working."

"Wait, who were you working for?" Red asks, frowning.

"…The same people we're working for now," Green mutters.

"What? N-no way!"

"Who are we talking about here?" Blue asks, feeling somewhat out of the loop. "Some kind of company? Who did you even say…just some high up officials, wasn't it…?"

"It wasn't a nice place," he continues without answering the question. "If it was suspected we weren't doing our jobs properly, we were threatened. One time she saw where they'd sliced in my arm, but I didn't tell her."

"Y-you just told me that you'd fallen over!" Red splutters.

"And you believed him?" Blue asks, shaking her head.

"They wanted her to be perfect at everything. Any mistake she made was treated with some kind of punishment." He stops for a moment. "One time when I arrived at the building, she had managed to get her hair caught in the cogs of the clockwork whilst attempting to clean them. She kept screaming and crying that she couldn't get free. Every time she pulled away, it dragged more of her hair into it. By the time I got her free, it had been severed to above her shoulders. They were furious. They said Mystiques had to be beautiful and without her hair she wasn't anything. Then they wanted me to hit her for it."

"Green, you didn't-"

"I didn't," he says firmly. "I couldn't. I was mad, but it was more so at them than her. She wouldn't stop apologising though."

"That's awful," Blue mutters through her teeth. "That's so awful. It's disgusting. Had I known, I would have drowned them all. Every single one of them."

"She told me she was playing with scissors like a dress up game and accidentally cut it off," Red says lowly, shoulders slumped. "Dammit, why did I say we were trying to…I'm such an idiot…"

"It's ridiculous that humans assume they can just make a Mystique anyway," she says. "It doesn't work like that. Why would they think it works like that?"

"But didn't you start off as a human?" Red asks, frowning uncertainly at her. "I dunno though…"

"Is that really relevant? Honestly, why does everyone keep bringing it up…"

"Is it true though?" Green asks with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, fine, okay! Stunning reveal that nobody cares about! It's not like it takes much to figure out."

"How do you become a Mystique if you don't make them then?" Red asks.

"You die," Blue says briskly. "That's it. You die. I died, okay? Someone kidnapped me, toyed with me and then drowned me in the middle of the night, and the next thing I knew I was the Ocean Spirit. That's all there is. Happy now? Why don't we talk about things that actually _matter_."

Blue stops then, irritated, and the boys just stare up at her with some sad pitiful look in their eyes. It annoys her even more, and she forces herself to think back to Yellow. That's what really matters right now, not herself. She doesn't need two humans feeling sorry for her. Drowning wasn't that bad, it was just maybe a little frightening when she saw the water all around her and feeling it rush up into her lungs and knowing at that moment she was completely going to die-

"Blue?" Red asks, and she doesn't bother to question why he thinks it's acceptable to use her real name. She's thinking about drowning.

Drowning. Someone's drowning.

…Yellow's drowning.

"…No," she whispers, eyes widening. "No, no!"

Without even answering to the boys' calls, Blue dives down far under the waves and makes her way as fast as she can to the dying body falling deeper into the water.

* * *

Crystal sits in Platinum's kitchen with a pottery cup in her hands. The steam pours out of the boiling liquid and she takes a sip of the tea, unfazed as it runs down her throat. Gold and Silver sit around the simple pine table in front of her, though they have yet to start their drinks.

"This is so weird," Gold mutters. "I mean, it's nice and all being able to visit the Sinnoh region, but I never assumed that it would be to visit a Mystique! Star Girl, hanging around with you was the best decision I ever made!"

"Never mind that," she says distractedly. "It's almost time for me to go back to the stars. I need to draft out more positions ready for tomorrow."

"…You should leave it," Silver says quietly, so quiet she can't even be quite sure she's heard him.

"Leave it?" she repeats, blinking.

"Oh yeah, I was telling Silv this the other day," Gold starts, holding his head up proudly. Crystal connects eyes with Silver, and it seems they both simultaneously think ' _liar'._ "I've always kinda thought the original stars were nice, you know? I think you should just stick to how things were before you changed everything, Star Girl."

She sighs, looking back down at her drink. Across the room, she can see through Platinum's window the darkening sky outside, with the snow still drifting down, so slow it's almost invisible. There are no stars, no twinkling in the distance. Crystal had assumed that it would be less cluttered for now, at least until she can draft out all the stars' positions and adjust their brightness based on that…but now it just looks empty. The sky is just dark and sad, a plain pitch black. It makes her frown a little.

"You really think I should put everything back to how it was originally?" she asks after a few more seconds of staring. "Do…do humans really enjoy the clutter?"

"It's not really clutter," Gold says, pulling a face. "I do like it being simple…and isn't what it was before already pretty simple?"

"It's not like everything has to be symmetrical to look nice," Silver mutters, and Crystal stares down into her drink, pondering. Before she even knows what's going on, there's a gentle tug on one of her pigtails, and when she looks up, Gold is holding the piece of ribbon with a smirk.

"See? You looked nice before I took it out and you still look fine now! Silv, don't you agree? C'mon, she looks nice!"

"Uh…" Silver says awkwardly, looking away. Crystal is about to yell at Gold to give her her ribbon back, before he holds up the metal spoon in front of her face. She glances at her reflection, raising an eyebrow at the unevenness of her hair.

"Gold, please give me my-"

"Don't you think it looks fine?"

"It looks ridiculous," she mutters, rolling her eyes. She grabs the loose hair to shape it back into a bunch, before letting it go. "I don't really think you're making your point very well."

"C'mon, Star Girl, what do we have to do to show you?"

"You said you liked the simplicity before," she points out, frowning. "There's just a constant rotation of opinions here."

"Final word: put everything back to normal," Gold says. "I don't mind if you're gone for a bit! We don't mind that much, do we, Silv? Hey, but next time you come down, I might be a bit older and even more attractive, so watch out."

"Haha," Crystal says in a flat tone. "How many times do I have to tell you that Mystiques really aren't interested in humans?"

"Looking at all the others, I'm prepared to argue with that, Star Girl," Gold says with a grin.

"Did you really make advances on a _Mystique?"_ Silver hisses at the boy, shooting him an incredulous look. "Are you completely shameless?"

"Don't be jealous just 'cause I got there first, Silv!" Gold laughs loudly as Silver just sighs, and Crystal rolls her eyes. It's annoying, but definitely amusing. She never really expected that she could have fun with humans, or even anyone at all for that matter. Letting people into her life never really seemed necessary, more like just a distraction from her work. But it's nice to have other opinions, and someone to share the burden with. That's okay, she thinks. That's fine.

"Fine then," she says eventually, before standing up and going to wash her now empty cup. It doesn't take very long, and when she turns around, the two boys are staring at her expectantly "I'm going back up then. For a while, it would seem."

"Really? You're gonna fix it all?"

"You say that like something's broken," Crystal says, raising her eyebrows. "Anyhow, there doesn't seem a lot of purpose for me to stay down here much longer if there's work that needs doing up there. The Snowflake Enchantress seems to have healed alright and there's nothing else going on…"

"You're really going?" Gold asks again, before stopping. "Wait, how are we supposed to get back to Johto? Oh man, they're gonna dismiss me for sure if I don't turn up with a good excuse after being gone for so long…"

"I'm honestly in awe that you kept a job for so long already," Silver mutters.

"What? Those kids love me!" He turns to Crystal with hints of panic reflected on his face. "C'mon, Star Girl. You gotta get us back home if you're leaving. Besides, Sinnoh's so cold, I'm sure that we're gonna freeze to death!"

"I can't take you anywhere," she says. "Unless you want to come back to Earth as some hideously distorted lump of bloody flesh."

"...Is that a no-"

"Of course it's a no!" Silver exclaims.

"I'll have to ask the Ocean Spirit to send you back home, since she was the one who brought you anyway…How about tomorrow? If you get into the Sinnoh oceans at this time of the night, you're definitely going to catch a fever."

"Thanks, mother," Gold snickers sarcastically. Crystal flushes and rolls her eyes.

"So, I'm guessing when I next see you, it'll have been quite a long time in your time…a year, was it…?"

"Nah, that's not that long!" Gold says lightly. Silver nods a single time beside him. "And if you end up missing up all that much, you can always come back and visit us, right?"

"If that ever happens," she says with a small smile. "I'll go and make sure Blue can take you back tomorrow, but then I'm going. I have a lot more work to do, it seems. I'm sure not sure how well I can pull off random, but I'll try my best."

Then she turns to Gold and gives him an expectant look.

"What, do you want a kiss goodbye?" He leaps up, eyes shining brightly. Crystal resists the urge to slap him across the face, or maybe even deliver a swift kick. He's all but asking for it.

"My ribbon," she says. "You can give it me back now."

He glances at the gold ribbon in his right hand, before grinning again and closing his fingers around it tightly. "This can be our keepsake! I'll tie Silv's hair up with or something like that."

"No," the boy says, but his voice has the hollow ring of defeat already in it.

"What am I supposed to do with this then?" She holds up the loose strands of her hair. "I know you were trying to prove a point earlier, but I can't be up in space doing my work with my hair flying all over the place. It's just inefficient, and probably more than a little dangerous."

"Tie your hair up in just one bunch then," Gold suggests "I'm sure it'd look nice on you, Star Girl."

Crystal goes to rebuke this comment before letting her shoulders and slump, giving in. She has a feeling that this is an argument she won't win, and one much too petty to start getting too angry about. With that, she pulls the other ribbon out of the remaining pigtail, before briskly tying it up into a ponytail. Gold whistles at her and she shoots him a glare.

"You really are shameless," she says, before turning away again. "Anyhow. I'm going. I'll see you another time, I guess. Please try not to get into too much trouble."

"No promises," Gold says, elbowing Silver.

"Bye," the boy says lamely, seemingly fumbling for more words. "Uh…good luck."

She gives them a brief wave before exiting Platinum's house, leaving the two behind. It leaves her with a little wistful feeling, never having really experienced such a friendship with humans before.

Blue is lounging around by the shore when Crystal reaches the beach, treading through the thick snow to reach the water. She moves her head just a little at the noise of her footsteps, before flipping over onto her front and grinning, before quickly gaining a refined look.

"I thought everyone had forgotten about me," she says, pulling a face. "I get that there're interesting things up on land, but the ocean is much better, don't you think?"

"Sorry, Blue," Crystal laughs sheepishly. "Things got kind of hectic."

"What's with the new hairstyle?" she asks, angry demeanour now gone. "I like it! It's cute. You should try wearing it down sometime. You have pretty hair, so it would probably look nice no matter how you wear it."

"Oh, th-thank you," Crystal says, suddenly a little more conscious of herself. "Um, aside from that, can I ask a favour of you please?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Could you send the two boys I came here with back to Johto tomorrow? It feels a little cruel leaving them all the way up here…and I wouldn't want them to get into trouble because of it…"

"Those two boys!" Blue perks up, eyes brightening. "Actually, I have a fun story about one of them! The one with the red hair…um…what was his name…"

"Silver?"

"Him! Did you know." Blue pauses, obviously trying to build some dramatic tension. Crystal readies herself for a very anticlimactic story. "When he was younger, like very small, I saved his life. He was drowning, but I saved him!"

"Is that so," Crystal says, smiling a little. "How do you know it was him though?"

"I remembered when I took them over here," she explains. "I never forget things like that, you know."

"How come you saved him? I thought you normally didn't care about things like that."

"Well, it was a similar situation." Blue looks thoughtful, but doesn't say any more. "Anyway, I'll take your friends back to Johto come tomorrow. Just for you. And maybe whatever riches they have on them."

"Thanks," Crystal says, nodding a little. "Well, I'm going back up to the stars for a little bit. I'm going to put things to how they were."

"Really?" The girl shoots her a wide grin. "I'm so happy! I was really getting bored of the empty skies, you know? It was getting depressing too. I always enjoy staring up at the night sky, because it's never really the same each time."

"…I see," Crystal says with a smile. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you. Please don't get too bored whilst I'm gone."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," Blue says as Crystal begins to walk away. "I have some new friends to play with now."

"That's good," she says, before waving one last time and setting off towards a high place, ready for her jump back up to the stars.

* * *

The journey comes to an end in the early days of March, but there's still snow pouring down from the sky. Sapphire frowns at the white landscape around her, unsure of how exactly to deal with it. She had assumed by this point it would have stopped, but it seems Snowpoint's winters are relentless. It would make sense, based on the name.

"This is our last stop!" Ruby cries happily as they reach the edge of the forest, stood by the tall pine trees. "Then we can just get one of your Mystique friends to send us back to Hoenn, simple as that. We're having a great finale in Lilycove so-"

"What make yer think they're gonna agree to that?" Sapphire asks, narrowing an eye. "What makes yer think _I'm_ gonna agree to that?"

She was hoping it might make the boy stumble just a little, but he replies back in a suave tone without missing a beat. "Well, we came all this way. I think your friends would be happy that we came so far on foot just to see them, and then they'll send us back. The same for you – are you really going to drop out of our little tour with only one show left to go?"

"I might do," she says, pulling a face.

"I think you enjoyed looking pretty really," he continues seamlessly. "Every girl, mortal or immortal, needs a chance to show off their true beauty once in a while."

Sapphire doesn't say anything, looking around. She's been here maybe once or twice…it's hard to remember exactly. She's sure Platinum's house is around here somewhere, and that's it's close to the trees, since she's seen the house before.

"Do yer really think she's okay?" she asks, suddenly scared. "What if somethin' happened whilst we were travellin'?"

"I'm sure somebody would have mentioned it," Ruby says dismissively. "Where does your friend live, anyway? After all this travelling, I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of fancy place she lives in. And don't try to lie to me – I know the Snowflake Enchantress only accepts the finest of everything."

"It's not exactly hard to see," Sapphire mutters, still glancing around whilst moving through the forest as it gets thinner and thinner. Then she stops. "There!"

She glances up at the simple yet aesthetically pleasing house balanced carefully on a steeper part of the hill, surrounded by piles of snow. It's separated from all the other houses down by the village, away in the distance, and has an unspoken magnificence about it. It's definitely Platinum's house.

"Interesting…" Ruby says, craning his neck to get a better look. "Hm, it's a little less than I imagined, but still nice. None of the other Mystiques have houses, do they…so this is the only one?"

"I hate to ask this to yer, mostly because I'm afraid of how yer'll handle it," Sapphire starts regretfully. "But can yer go up and tell anybody who's there that I'm here? Just…act normal. I'm beggin' yer."

"Why, of course." Ruby takes a step forwards. "Wait, I might be meeting a Mystique here. D-does my hair look alright? My outfit? There's no mud anywhere, is there…"

"Who cares?" She gives him a push forwards. "Just go!"

Sapphire leans against a tree whilst watching the boy stride off into the distance, and stumble up the hill. He glances back at her before knocking on the door (with the most overdone knock she's ever heard). She holds her breath for a few moments whilst waiting for it to open.

Someone opens the door, and it's not anybody she recognises. Sapphire narrows her eyes, suddenly suspicious, and watches carefully. Ruby is talking, and then he turns and points at Sapphire hidden amongst the trees, before turning back. He seems to laugh about something and her suspicion only grows. It clears when she sees Platinum exit the house, look the same as always. She lets out a sigh of relief - everything was okay after all.

"Sapphire," she greets upon walking down the hill to the trees. There's a gentle and polite smile on her face, and Sapphire feels a little comforted just seeing it. "It is a pleasure to meet with you once more."

"Oh, yeah, same to you!" Sapphire lets out a quick bark of laughter. "I thought yer might be all beaten up…I was really worried, but it looks like yer okay now!"

"Yes, I am," she says with a graceful nod. Then she seems to hesitate. "I would invite you in, but…"

"It's fine, it's fine," she says with a dismissive tone. "I get that yer not being rude or nothin'!"

Platinum seems to study her for a moment, and she notices Ruby coming back down beside them. He's just coming down behind them as the girl speaks again.

"You have changed," she says simply. Then she seems to reconsider. "Oh, forgive me if I am being too forward."

"Changed?" Ruby cuts in, looking between the two. Platinum startles a little bit, but it's so subtle Sapphire hardly notices. "Oh, but I apologise! Snowflake Enchantress, it's an honour to finally to see your beauty and mystery in person!"

"Mystery," Platinum repeats. "No, I am no longer to be shrouded in mystery…Would you like some bread?"

"Excuse me?" Ruby blinks. "But…surely being a Mystique refers to the element of mystery? Or the name would fall apart."

"It is just a title," Platinum says, head held high.

"…I see."

"Ruby, why don't you go away somewhere?" Sapphire asks irritably. "We're tryna talk."

"There are nicer ways to ask a person to leave, you do realise," he mutters.

"Yes, I have been made of this." Platinum turns to Ruby. "Would you mind fetching me a basket of bread; I left it indoors."

"Again with the bread?"

To Sapphire's relief, the conversation doesn't continue before it become any harder to follow, and Ruby trudges back off the hill, murmuring about things she doesn't care about. Probably more fashion and how it connects to Platinum.

"It seems you have also befriended a human." Platinum laughs a little. "They are quite amusing, are they not? I have become very fond of the two that frequent my house."

"I'm not fond at all," Sapphire says, huffing. "That guy couldn't be any more annoyin'! Yer lucky with the humans that chose to pester yer, 'cause I can't stand him!"

"…Yes, there's definitely some change here," the girl says, a glimmer of concern in her knowledgeable eyes. "Even to the basis of your speaking style."

"…I guess it really has been a long time since we last met, huh."

"Merely a few hundred years. Would you care to discuss the cause of your change, or is it more of a private affair?"

"It's nothin' really," Sapphire says with an uncomfortable shrug. "I haven't changed that much, have I?"

"I remember you used to wear this delicate and wonderful dress made entirely of flowers, with your hair down to your waist. You spoke like a nymph and treated all the wanderers of the forests as if they were all your dearest friends. Why has it changed?"

"I-I was weak back then!" she exclaims, flushing as she remembers her past self. "Too gentle. Too nice! Yer can't do anythin' like that."

"…I see," Platinum says, voice tinged with sadness. "But-!"

The girl stops suddenly, and Sapphire follows her gaze up to the sky. It feels like the air has grown a thousand times colder, despite the already icy winds blowing past. A heavy feeling of dread falls over her, as if she could die at any moment, as if all hope is gone and she has been reduced to nothing. She can hear Platinum's hitched breath, but she can't see her lips or her eyes or her face. Sapphire can't see anything.

The sun has flickered out.

* * *

There are clear indications of something being very wrong all over the place, and Platinum isn't quite sure which one to begin with. The most prominent one seems to the fact that a heavy darkness has set down all across the world, causing a terrifying, nightmarish atmosphere to lurk in at every moment. It's all somewhat of a rush, and Platinum ends up leading Sapphire through the dark forest. They work as a pair, with her leading the girl through the snow, whilst Sapphire leads her through the dense trees.

"I don't understand," Platinum mutters, stumbling a little over a root. Sapphire places a rough hand on her bare shoulder and guides her carefully. "This is…what is happening?"

"It's freezin'," Sapphire mutters, pulling Ruby's jacket around her. "Freezin, freezin'. I've never experienced this kinda cold."

"For me, there is no change…" the girl says. "But still, I am worried. This should not be happening, should it?"

"Nah. There's somethin' seriously not right here."

"Here, this stretch of trees reaches down to the edge of the ocean. You will not be able to get particularly close, but I hope it is better than nothing."

"Yeah, it's fine," Sapphire says, nodding. Platinum nods (even though she doubts it can be seen) and sets off on a smoother path towards the ocean. They are all meeting up together, which is another thing that indicates things are wrong. There has never been an instance where all four Mystiques have met up before - there was never any need for it before.

When Platinum hurries down to the beach, she can already see Blue and Crystal stood by the water, alongside a range of their human friends. Again, things are wrong. Crystal was supposed to be up in the skies, she had told everyone so yesterday, but yet she is already back. Nothing can draw the girl away from her work without good reason.

"Platinum!" Blue cries, and she startles, unaccustomed to such a casual use of her name. The feeling stops though, when she sees the dark figure of the girl from the other week - the one who had wrapped her bandages - led lifelessly on the floor. She comes to a stop, withdrawing a little from the scene.

"Why…what is going on?" She glances around the group. When she looks towards the trees, it's too dark to see if Sapphire is there or not, but she assumes as much. "What has happened to the sun? Star Girl?"

"I-…it wasn't me," Crystal says in a whisper, voice trembling. "I didn't…I saw it suddenly…but when I tried to brighten it again, there was nothing. Like I had no control over it."

"This is awful," Blue sobs, reaching out and touching Yellow's cheek. "It's so awful…"

The boys stand quietly, and Platinum seeks out Pearl and Diamond, holding one of their hands in each of hers. Almost at the same time, they squeeze her hand in comfort.

"…What happened?" Platinum asks, her voice feeling like a knife in the thick silence. "Is she really…?"

"It's all my fault," one of the boys chokes from beside her, bent down next to the girl's body. "It's…this was my fault!"

There's another tense silence, and Platinum is unsure of whether to ask any more questions. Exactly what happened still isn't clear, but she decides on asking it another time. Right now feels too delicate to start asking any questions. She can hear gasps and sobs from around her, and the atmosphere is almost too much. It's like she can hardly breathe.

"…I'll go and tell the Forest Guardian," says the boy who had been shooed by Sapphire earlier, and stumbles off across the beach, probably in a desperate attempt to escape the scene.

"Her name is Sapphire," Blue whispers after him, tears still running down her cheek. "And this girl's name is Yellow. She's not a doll…she's not just a lifeless failure of a person…"

"Blue," another boy says, one with a sharp analytical voice. "…The sun."

"…Do-do you think…?" Crystal starts. "…But there's no way that…"

There's yet again another strained silence in the group, as the ocean sways gently behind them. Platinum stares back down the body, barely visible in the darkness. She had heard that the girl was often referred to as 'The Doll', and right now, she does look like one. Her arms limp, her hair draped over her unmoving face. The boy knelt down by her body is grasping one of her hands, and she wonders if maybe he's crying. It would make sense, if they really were so close. Suddenly, he gasps and sits up, and the others turn to look at him.

"H-hey," he says unsurely, voice still tainted with hints of grief. "…Her-her hands are…warming up…"

"…What?" Blue gasps breathlessly. "Red, what're you…"

Crystal bends down beside her and holds a hand to the girl's neck. "…Th-there's a pulse!"

"That's not possible," the boy with the sharp voice says, bending down. "Blue said she was definitely…-there's no way she could have survived."

"Guys, I seriously think…"

They wait silently, and Platinum feels her hold on the boys' hand tighten once more, her heart beating hard in her chest. A few minutes pass, and she isn't sure what exactly is happening or what they should do. Maybe the girl wasn't actually dead? But then when before has Blue failed to recognise something within the ocean?

"H-hey, Yellow?" Red whispers, voice quiet but feeling loud in the anticipating silence. "Hey, can you hear me?"

Platinum holds her breath. Nobody says anything, staring down at the girl. Suddenly, there's a burst of light throughout the sky, slightly blinding in her eyes. When she blinks, everything as it was before.

"…Hnmmhm…"

"…Y-Yellow?" Red breathes, eyes wide. Platinum can see now - he had been crying.

"…G-good morning," she whispers, sitting up slowly. The girl blinks and looks around at everyone as if she had just woken up from a slumber, before Red wraps his arms around her tightly, making her eyes widen.

"Yellow…!" Blue says, holding her hands over her mouth. "Y-you're okay!"

"…What happened…? I don't remember…" She glances around, before brushing her fingertips against the snow layered over the sand. "Why is it so warm?"

"…Warm?"

"I'm sorry," Yellow murmurs, her knees drawn up to her chest. She doesn't have the confidence to look the others in the eyes at this moment, even though it's only Red, Green and Blue. "…I'm really sorry."

The others have gone back to the house by this point, leaving just them sat down by the ocean. She feels strangely warm despite the snow all around her, as well as slightly scared of the implications of that. Overall, the main feeling flooding her body is guilt and regret. She remembers what she did. She wished she didn't have to remember.

"It's not your fault," Red says, frowning. "Seriously, it's all mine. I shouldn't have just said outright that…I mean, it was too much for you to deal with and I didn't know all that stuff and-"

"It wasn't anybody's fault!" Blue snaps. "Why do you have to assign blame for a problem with multiple causes? Are you trying to make yourself feel worse on purpose?"

Yellow frowns and shifts slightly, placing her hand back on the sand. Then she realises something.

"…Why has the snow…" When she looks around, a small patch of the snow has completely melted in water. She stares at it, confused.

"I think it's about time we addressed this issue," Green says with a sigh. He looks stressed, and it worries Yellow. They all look somewhat stressed, and she bites her lip when considering that it's her fault. "People just don't come back to life. You jumped into the ocean in the south of Sinnoh and were under for a good few minutes. When we checked, you had no pulse. But yet you're still alive."

"Maybe it's just some kind of good luck?" Yellow suggests, giving a small shrug. "...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped-"

"No, we understand," Blue says, but she has this sad, distant look in her eyes. "I guess everything just pushed you too far, huh?"

"It was my fault for running away from it for so long-" she starts.

"No, I've known you for the longest amount of time, I should have noticed sooner-" Green cuts in, before Blue rises up out of the water, glaring at all of them.

"Stop it with the blame! You guys are ridiculous! Can't you just accept it was nobody's fault? I see people drown every day, and there's not always gonna be a clear cause for all of them. Just…leave it."

"Yellow," Green starts again, turning to the girl. She almost flinches under his serious gaze, even though she knows this is a time where she needs to be serious. "You didn't die."

"Yeah, we got that," Red says, rolling his eyes. He's sat close to Yellow, so close that she almost wants to hold his hand. It would probably give her some comfort - but she probably shouldn't, not now. "What point are you trying to make here, Green? Are you gonna imply something like she's a ghost?"

"A ghost?" Green shakes his head in exasperation. "No, of course not something like that. What I'm trying to say is-"

"You think she's become a Mystique," Blue finishes, crossing her arms.

"Wh-what?" Yellow glances around at them. "No, I'm not! That was the whole point of everything; I was supposed to be but I couldn't. I wasn't good enough to become a Mystique."

"Look at the snow," Green says, and she notices it has only melted around her.

"B-but that might just be a coincidence!" Yellow protests. "It's impossible. Blue already said you can't make a Mystique."

"No, it wasn't those years you spent in that institution or whatever it was," the girl says, a look of clear disgust on her face. Yellow tries not to think too hard about it. "When you died. That must have been when the transformation took place."

"But…Mystique of what? The ocean, because I d-died there? But you're already the Ocean Spirit so…"

"Remember how Crystal said she lost control over the sun? And then it pretty much went out during the time you weren't conscious?" Blue watches her carefully. "Maybe that's it."

"The sun is a star," Green points out with narrowed eyes. "Is it possible for Mystiques to share such things?"

"I-I don't really think…" Yellow says, glancing up at the sky nervously. She runs her fingers over her other hand, trying to figure out whether her skin feels any warmer or not. It's hard to tell.

"It'd suit your blonde hair," Red says, smiling at her. She instinctively touches a strand and swallows. Now her face feels warmer, but that's probably something different.

"But…but what do I have to do with the sun? What am I supposed to do with it? Look after it?"

"Maybe just be there, watching over," Blue says, gazing up at the sky with thoughtful eyes. "Lucky…I wish I could just walk around freely and do whatever I want."

"Don't you like being the Ocean Spirit?" Red asks, frowning. "I mean, the ocean is a pretty big place and there's lots of stuff to do, isn't there?"

"I suppose." Blue moves her hand around in the water easily, causing ripples around her fingers. "Not a lot of company, unless you like sharing secrets and gossiping with fish."

"Back to the original topic," Green says, still staring at Yellow with the cautious look. "Is there any certain way to test if a person has become a Mystique or not?"

"Hmm…" Blue shrugs. "No idea. I just kinda figured it out because I wasn't dead and I wasn't dying, even when my entire body was submerged in the water. It's pretty obvious from that. And there's no complete shared attributes between us, other than we don't age. Me and Crystal don't need oxygen, and only me and Sapphire are bound to specific places. Obviously Platinum can't leave the colder regions…and all of us but Sapphire can't really feel temperature."

"Huh, that sounds kind of complicated," Red says, before taking a hold of Yellow's hand. She tenses and feels her face warm up, almost wanting to pull away but not quite. "Her skin's unnaturally warm though. Would that make sense?"

Blue lets out a small laugh. "Well, I think we might as well just accept that we have a new Mystique. Welcome to the club, Yellow."

"A-are you sure?" she says. "I mean…what if I'm not? It seems a little awkward to be making assumptions now at this stage…"

"I'm pretty sure," Blue says with a wink. "Ocean Sprit's intuition isn't normally wrong. I know a lot of things about lots of things!"

"Of course you do," Green says, but the tone isn't as much annoyed as it is amused. Yellow wonders whether they might finally be getting along, but it's a little hard to tell.

"So now you get to pick your very own special Mystique title," Blue carries on, grinning brightly.

"Huh? You picked them yourself?" Red blinks. Yellow notices he still hasn't let go of her hand and wonders absentmindedly whether it's intentional or not. "I always assumed that you just kinda…had them."

"Of course!" Blue seems to think about this a little more, before pouting. "Obviously, people tend to change them up a little. Key example, I originally attached maybe ten, twenty adjectives onto my name, but people just call me Ocean Spirit. I suppose it works though."

"…I don't know," Yellow says. "Nothing really suits me. Can't I just stick with The Doll? Since people have always called me that.

"No, no way." Blue shakes her head firmly. "No more of that. If you really are the sun Mystique…how about we call you the Sun Maiden? I think that's pretty."

"…Sun Maiden?" Yellow repeats it, feeling a little awkward. "Wa-wait, if I really am a Mystique, does that mean I'll never grow any older?"

"Never any wrinkles," Blue says, sounding a little wistful. "I hope you like the height you are now."

Yellow thinks over this for a few moments, but her gaze falls on Red's hand (still holding hers) and she frowns just a little. "Doesn't being immortal get lonely though?"

"If you ever get lonely, you just look at what you have around you, I guess." Blue smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Maybe everyone will forget about me and maybe everyone I like will die in what seems like seconds, but at least I have the ocean. I'll always have the ocean. Crystal will always have the stars and Sapphire will always have the trees. Platinum will always have the snow and you'll always have the sun."

"That doesn't sound good at all," Green says, frowning.

"Hey, if you don't like it, you could always try your very hardest to-" Blue stops, pursing her lips. "Never mind. Y'know, we shouldn't be talking about bad occurrences, since a load of good occurrences happened! Hey, actually, when you guys first met me, you bowed. So bow now! You're in the presence of two Mystiques."

"Like we would do that again," Green mutters, at the same time Red hastily lets go of her hand and ducks his head.

"Wh- n-no, don't do that! You really don't need to do that!" She laughs just a little, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's strange, because even though I've been trained for this all my life, I don't really know what I'm supposed to do."

"You don't really have to do anything," Blue says, shrugging. "Just enjoy it, I guess."

"…Okay," Yellow says uncertainly. She scoops up another handful full of snow and watches as it melts slowly in her palm. It's a little sad to watch, but she's happy that in the end she managed to make it. Even if it means staying like this forever. Even if it means never falling in love and growing up and getting married and having a family. It might be okay from now on. At least she didn't fail. She wasn't a failure. She was more than the doll they said she would be. "Okay."

* * *

 **whew, it's like two minutes to midnight but I think I made it!  
and if I didn't well...time-zones and that ouo""""""  
and that's it for this fic! ovo  
pretty sure anyone who read any of my old stories would know that death was coming heh  
** **but i hope you enjoyed! merry Christmas!**


End file.
